PRACTICAL  PEDAGOGY 
in  the  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

A,.  H.  MC  KINNEY* 


^^^  oFpflS^ 


'^ 


MAY  30  19IR 


BV  1534  .M25  1911 
McKinney,  A.  H.  1858-1941 
Practical  pedagogy  in  the 
Sunday  school 


Prac ti  cal    Pedagogy 
in  the  Sunday  School 


By  A.  H.  McKinney,  Ph.D. 


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Practical  Pedagogy 
in  the  Sunday  School 


V         By 
A.  H.  MCKINNEY,  PH.  D. 


,/j^^KMOrPlfiW^ 


AY  30  1918 


New  York    Chicago    Toronto 
Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London        and        Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1911,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:      75     Princes     Street 


Introduction 

THE  function  of  the  Sunday-school 
is  to  impart  instruction  for  the 
purpose  of  leading  to  definite 
results.  As  the  result  of  that  instruction, 
there  are  many  things  done  in  the  Sun- 
day-school auxiliary  to  its  chief  function. 
Whenever  any  of  them  has  a  tendency  to 
destroy  or  nullify  the  real  work  of  the 
school,  it  is  out  of  place.  Since,  then,  the 
prime  object  of  the  Sunday-school  is  to 
impart  instruction,  pedagogy  should  have 
a  very  important  place  in  the  thought  of 
the  leaders  therein,  for,  to  put  it  concisely, 
it  is  the  science  and  art  of  teaching. 

There  can  be  no  difference  between  the 
pedagogy    necessary    for    the    Sunday- 
school  and  that  for  the  day-school.    There 
is  but  one  pedagogy  ;  its  applications  are 
5 


6  Introduction 

various.  It  may  be  applied,  for  example, 
to  the  work  of  the  kindergarten,  or  to 
the  post-graduate  course  of  a  university. 
It  should  have  a  very  important  place  in 
the  Sunday-school ;  perhaps  at  the  pres- 
ent time  more  than  ever  before,  because 
so  much  depends  on  the  proper  teaching 
of  Christian  truth.  While  this  is  true, 
some  fears  that  have  been  expressed  by 
consecrated  Sunday-school  teachers  must 
be  labelled  as  groundless. 

*'  The  introduction  of  pedagogy  into 
our  Sunday-school  work  will  interfere 
with  the  position  that  the  Bible  now 
holds."  This  is  the  thought  of  many. 
It  is,  however,  entirely  erroneous,  for  the 
true  teaching  of  the  Bible  must  be  in 
harmony  with  the  principles  of  pedagogy, 
as  both  have  the  same  author.  Further 
than  this,  the  Bible  itself  abounds  with 
illustrations  of  pedagogical  principles. 
It  is  acknowledged  by  all  thoughtful 
persons  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the 


Introduction  7 

greatest  teacher  that  ever  lived.  While 
He  enunciated  no  pedagogical  principles, 
His  treatment  of  individuals,  and  es- 
pecially His  conversations  with  them, 
show  that  He  was  the  master  of  peda- 
gogy, and  that  He  put  into  operation 
many  of  the  pedagogical  principles 
which  have,  in  recent  years,  been  ad- 
vocated by  advanced  teachers.  Surely 
the  disciple  needs  to  follow  his  Master. 
The  true  thought  is :  The  truths  of 
the  Bible  may  be  taught  along  peda- 
gogical lines  much  more  efTectively 
than  along  lines  opposed  to  the 
make-up  of  the  minds  of  those  for 
whom  those  truths  are  intended. 
Every  Sunday-school  teacher  should 
memorize  the  command  of  the  great 
apostle :  "  Give  diligence  to  present  thy- 
self approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that 
needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  handling 
aright  the  word  of  truth." 

"Shall   we    not    dishonour   the  Holy 


8  Introduction 

Spirit  ? "  is  a  question  asked  by  many 
excellent  teachers,  when  confronted  with 
the  thought  of  applying  pedagogical 
principles  in  the  teaching  of  the  truths  of 
the  Bible.  The  answer  is :  No,  God  will 
honour  His  own  laws  wherever  they  are 
followed.  One  does  not  dishonour  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  giving  heed  to  the  law  of 
gravitation.  One  does  not  dishonour  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  becoming  acquainted  with 
the  laws  which  govern  the  working  of 
the  human  mind,  and  adapting  his 
teachings  thereto.  "  God  does  not  need 
your  learning,"  said  an  illiterate  man  to  a 
cultured  one.  *'  Nor  does  He  need  your 
ignorance,"  was  the  reply.  It  is  true 
that  God  can  use  any  kind  of  instrument. 
Is  it  not  true,  also,  that  He  can  use  an 
agent  prepared  for  service  ?  Will  He  not 
be  able  to  use  the  one  working  in  harmony 
with  the  laws  of  the  mind  better  than  the 
one  who  disregards  them  ?  The  Holy 
Spirit  led  many  members  of  the  Sunday- 


Introduction  9 

school  to  Christ  and  into  Christian  living 
before  pedagogy  was  talked  of  as  a 
necessary  aid  to  the  Sunday-school 
teacher.  Why  should  not  the  Holy 
Spirit  lead  many  more  to  Christ  and 
Christian  living  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  those  who  are  workmen 
prepared  for  His  service  ? 

"  I  have  no  time  to  study  pedagogy," 
is  the  final  retort  of  many,  when  pressed 
on  this  matter.  The  answer  to  this  is : 
If  the  time  now  spent  by  the  average 
teacher  in  wrong  methods  of  study  in 
preparing  for  class  work  were  expended 
in  the  efEort  to  grasp  and  apply  true 
pedagogical  principles,  nothing  further 
would  be  required.  In  other  words, 
what  we  are  pleading  for  is  not  that  one 
shall  add  to  one's  burdens  as  a  teacher, 
but  that  he  shall  be  familiar  with  prin- 
ciples of  preparation  and  presentation  of 
truth.  When  these  principles  are  grasped 
and   applied,   the  work  becomes   much 


lo  Introduction 

easier  and  the  time  necessary  for  the 
preparation  of  a  given  lesson  gradually 
shortened.  For  example,  thousands  of 
teachers  have  no  adequate  conception  of 
how  to  prepare  a  lesson.  Trusting  to 
something,  some  of  them  call  it  inspira- 
tion, others  luck,  they  go  to  the  class  with 
a  certain  amount  of  undigested  material 
and  present  it  in  some  way  or  other,  many 
of  them  breathing  a  sigh  of  relief  when 
the  time  for  closing  the  class  study  arrives. 
Supposing  such  persons  were  to  learn 
how  to  prepare  their  lesson,  what  would 
be  gained?  Again,  how  many  of  our 
teachers  know  how  to  ask  questions? 
Supposing  they  were  to  learn  how,  what 
would  be  the  result  ?  A  most  important 
part  of  lesson  presentation  is  the  illus- 
tration. How  many  teachers  regret  that 
they  do  not  know  how  properly  to  illus- 
trate a  lesson  ?  These  are  but  a  few  of 
the  questions  that  might  be  asked  in  the 
endeavour  to  show  that  pedagogy,  in- 


Introduction  1 1 

stead  of  requiring  more  time,  really  takes 
less  than  that  used  by  teachers  who  follow 
slipshod  methods. 

In  the  science  of  pedagogy  there  are  a 
few  things  that  are  fundamental ;  when 
they  are  grasped,  others  may  be  added 
and,  thus,  by  degrees,  one  who  is  really 
determined  to  master  them,  may  do  so 
with  an  expenditure  of  very  little  time  and 
thought.  Out  of  the  science  of  pedagogy 
comes  the  art  of  teaching.  This,  of  course, 
is  acquired  like  any  other  art,  by  prac- 
ticing those  things  which  the  science  de- 
clares to  be  right  and  proper.  Uncon- 
sciously, many  of  our  teachers  do 
manifest  great  art  in  teaching,  because 
they  have,  by  experiment,  found  what 
are  the  best  ways  of  presenting  a 
lesson.  Their  number  might  be  greatly 
increased. 

A.  H.  McK. 

New  Tork, 


Contents 


I. 

Some  Pedagogical  Principles 

15 

II. 

The  Principle  of  Adaptation 

22 

III. 

The  Principle  of  Appercep- 

tion     

28 

IV. 

The  Principle  of  Correlation 

35 

V. 

The  Principle  of  Concentra- 

tion     

46 

VI. 

Imitation        .        .        .        . 

53 

VII. 

Curiosity 

60 

VIII. 

Lesson  Preparation 

70 

IX. 

Illustrating  the  Lesson 

77 

X. 

The  Art  of  Questioning 

.      83 

XI. 

Attention 

.      90 

XII. 

Interest 

.      97 

XIII. 

The  Teacher  Teaching  . 

.     104 

XIV. 

The  Lesson  Expressed  in  Lifi 

:     113 

XV. 

A  Fivefold  Knowledge 

.     119 

13 


Practical    Pedagogy 
in  the  Sunday  School 


SOME  PEDAGOGICAL  PRINCIPLES 

AS  the  result  of  the  study  of  the 
human  mind,  coupled  with  care- 
ful experiments  in  the  best  meth- 
ods of  presenting  facts  and  truths,  there 
have  been  evolved  pedagogical  principles 
which  may  be  said  to  lie  at  the  basis  of 
the  science  of  pedagogy.  From  these 
principles  rules  may  be  formulated.  It  is 
better  to  grasp  principles  and  endeavour 
to  follow  them  than  simply  to  learn  rules 
and  endeavour  to  apply  them.  We, 
therefore,  suggest  four  of  the  great  ped- 
agogical principles  with  which  every 
teacher  should  be  familiar.  The  time 
spent  in  the  consideration  of  these  prin- 
ciples will   yield   much  greater  fruitage 


I? 


l6  Practical  Pedagogy 

than  if  it  were  devoted  to  the  memoriz- 
ing of  certain  rules.  The  rules  may  come 
afterwards. 

I.  The  principle  of  adaptation.  It  was 
once  suggested  that  the  proper  way  to 
study  the  Bible  is  for  the  whole  congre- 
gation to  gather  like  a  great  family  and 
have  Biblical  truths  presented  to  them 
in  a  mass.  Concerning  this,  the  query 
was  raised :  "  What  would  you  think  of 
a  family  class  in  arithmetic ;  the  grand- 
father, the  children,  and  the  grandchil- 
dren all  being  engaged  in  the  same 
study  ?  "  "  Ridiculous,"  was  the  answer. 
Just  so  it  is  concerning  the  Bible.  It  is 
true  that  its  truths  are  necessary,  but  it 
is  equally  true  that  all  truths  are  not 
necessary  for  the  same  person  at  the 
same  time.  The  mature  individual  of 
threescore  years  and  ten  requires  a  very 
different  truth  from  that  needed  by  the 
beginner  who  has  just  entered  the  Sun- 
day-school.    When    that    beginner    has 


Some  Pedagogical  Principles      17 

become  an  adolescent,  that  which  was 
suitable  for  him  once  must  now  be  super- 
seded by  something  else.  Moreover,  dif- 
ferent classes  of  persons  of  about  the 
same  age  need  different  forms  of  truth. 
For  example,  a  class  composed  of  cul- 
tured, spiritual  men  should  have  an  en- 
tirely different  presentation  of  truth  from 
that  given  to  a  class  composed  of  unedu- 
cated, unconverted  persons.  Hence,  the 
first  great  pedagogical  principle  to  be 
observed  is  that  of  adaptation.  The  truth 
should  be  adapted  to  the  individual  for 
whom  it  is  intended.  The  teacher  who 
follows  this  principle  may  expect  fruitage. 
2.  The  principle  of  apperception.  So 
much  has  been  said  concerning  this  vital 
principle  that  there  are  thousands  who 
will  have  none  of  it,  the  reason  prob- 
ably being  that  they  have  misconceived 
its  value.  Instead  of  getting  into  dis- 
cussions concerning  the  meaning  of  the 
word,  and  indulging  in  abstractions  as  to 


i8  Practical  Pedagogy 

the  principle,  let  us  say  with  Dr.  Gregory, 
*'  The  truth  to  be  taught  must  be  learned 
through  truth  already  known."  This, 
every  thoughtful  teacher  must  grant. 
When  he  does  so,  it  is  equivalent  to 
his  declaring  that  the  principle  of  apper- 
ception must  be  observed  in  teaching. 
He  who  once  grasps  and  then  lives  up 
to  the  truth  that  it  is  impossible  for 
the  individual  to  learn  anything  except 
through  that  which  he  already  knows, 
has  made  a  great  advance  both  in  the 
preparation  and  the  presentation  of  these 
truths  which  we  wish  to  influence  the  life 
of  our  pupils.  How  this  principle  of  ap- 
perception may  be  applied  in  our  teach- 
ing will  be  explained  in  chapter  three. 

3.  The  principle  of  correlation.  Vari- 
ous names  have  been  given  to  this  prin- 
ciple, one  of  the  most  common  of  which  is 
"  the  principle  of  association."  It  means 
that  in  teaching,  ideas,  facts  or  truths 
must  be  associated.    Correlation  has  been 


Some  Pedagogical  Principles       19 

defined  as  '*  the  act  or  process  of  putting 
a  number  of  truths  or  facts  in  proper  re- 
lation to  the  truth  or  fact  to  be  learned." 
The  teacher  who  understands  and  applies 
this  principle  will  save  himself  much 
nervous  energy  and  will  find  that  he  can 
teach  more  in  less  time  than  the  one  who 
is  ignorant  of  it. 

4.  The  principle  of  concentratio7t.  It 
is  admitted  on  all  sides  that  one  of  the 
weaknesses  of  Sunday-school  teaching  is 
that  so  many  truths  are  taught  from  a 
given  Scripture  selection  that  the  effect 
of  the  whole  is  largely  dissipated,  so  that 
very  litde  remains  definitely  in  the  minds 
of  those  instructed.  The  application  of 
the  principle  of  concentration  would  lead 
the  teacher  to  endeavour  to  prepare  and 
to  present  the  lesson  for  a  given  Sunday, 
so  that  one  truth  would  be  so  lodged  in 
the  minds  of  the  pupils  that  it  could  be 
made  use  of  in  further  teaching  and 
would  affect  the  every-day  living  of  those 


20  Practical  Pedagogy 

to  whom  it  had  been  given.  The  pres- 
entation and  impression  of  this  truth 
would  not  prevent  the  consideration  of 
other  truths,  but  this  consideration  would 
be  auxiliary  or  subsidiary  to  the  impres- 
sion of  the  one  great  truth  which  the 
teacher  wishes  to  make  prominent. 

In  connection  with  these  basal  prin- 
ciples, the  fact  that  many  of  our  pupils 
imitate  what  the  teacher  does  rather  than 
obey  what  he  says,  should  have  great 
weight.  From  the  pedagogical  stand- 
point, there  is  little  value  in  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher's  words  unless  they  are 
backed  up  with  his  life.  Hence,  in  pre- 
paring his  lesson  as  well  as  in  presenting 
it,  the  wise  teacher  remembers  that  he  is 
creating  a  deeper  impression  by  himself 
than  by  his  words.  He  will,  therefore, 
ever  be  on  the  alert  to  bring  to  his 
aid  all  such  qualities  of  mind  and  heart 
as  well  as  all  such  outward  manifesta- 
tions of  his  real  self  as  will  help  impress 


Some  Pedagogical  Principles      21 

the  truth.  Therefore,  pedagogically,  the 
teacher  must  be  impressed  with  the  truth 
which  he  is  to  teach  before  he  can  hope 
to  be  the  agent  for  impressing  that  truth 
on  others. 

It  needs  no  psychological  or  pedagog- 
ical knowledge  to  be  able  to  take  the 
foregoing  suggestions  and  think  over 
them  so  often  that  they  become  a  part 
of  one's  self.  When  this  is  done,  every- 
thing that  is  heard  or  read  concerning 
the  various  principles  referred  to  will  be 
put  into  its  proper  place  in  the  mind  of 
the  one  who  wishes  to  become  a  more 
successful  teacher.  If  to  this  is  added  a 
mental  review  of  the  teaching  of  every 
lesson  in  order  to  ascertain  wherein  the 
principles  were  followed  and  wherein  they 
were  neglected,  by  degrees  the  instructor 
will  come  to  follow  the  very  best  that 
pedagogy  has  to  offer. 


II 

THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  ADAPTATION 

IT  is  a  common  experience  on  the 
part  of  those  who  examine  persons 
for  church-membership,  that  young 
people  have  very  vague  and  indefinite 
ideas  concerning  important  Biblical  facts 
and  truths.  Perhaps  one  reason  for  this 
is  that  those  who  have  instructed  them 
have  talked  on  general  principles  rather 
than  endeavoured  to  adapt  truth  to  indi- 
viduals. If  teachers  would  apply  the 
principle  of  adaptation,  which  simply 
means  giving  each  pupil,  so  far  as  pos- 
sible, that  truth  which  he  most  needs  in 
the  way  in  which  he  can  most  easily  receive 
it,  the  sum  of  the  knowledge  of  those  in- 
structed will  be  wonderfully  increased. 

That  individuals  differ,  and  that  differ- 
ent individuals  need  different  truths,  there 

22 


The  Principle  of  Adaptation       23 

can  be  no  question.  Here,  for  example, 
are  two  little  girls  in  a  primary  depart- 
ment. One  of  them  is  well  instructed 
in  spiritual  things,  and  needs  but  a  little 
gentle  drawing  in  the  direction  in  which 
she  is  faced  in  order  to  bring  her  into 
vital  contact  with  Jesus.  Her  seatmate, 
however,  may  be  drawn  in  the  direction 
in  which  she  is  facing  and  led  away  from 
Christ.  In  other  words,  their  needs  are 
different ;  the  teacher  who  fails  to  appre- 
ciate this  is  not  doing  them  justice. 

Here  are  two  boys  sitting  side  by  side 
in  a  junior  department.  One  of  them  is 
a  glib  liar.  He  would  as  soon  tell  an 
untruth  as  to  eat  candy.  His  seatmate, 
on  the  contrary,  would  bite  his  tongue 
before  he  would  utter  a  lie.  There  is 
no  need  of  argument  to  prove  that  these 
two  boys  need  difTerent  teaching.  One 
should  be  led  to  see  the  necessity  of 
truthfulness  ;  the  other  should  be  encour- 
aged in  his  love  of  truth-telling. 


24  Practical  Pedagogy 

These  illustrations  emphasize  a  diffi- 
culty which  the  ordinary  Sunday-school 
teacher  is  obliged  to  face,  namely,  his 
pupils  vary  so  that  it  is  not  easy  to  select 
truths  applicable  to  all.  While  this  diffi- 
culty cannot  be  overcome,  there  are  a 
few  hints  that  may  be  helpful  to  the 
wide-awake  instructor. 

1.  Above  all,  the  teacher  must  know 
those  whom  he  is  endeavouring  to  in- 
struct ;  know  them  not  merely  as  they 
sit  before  him  on  the  Lord's  day,  but  as 
they  are  at  home,  on  the  street  and  in 
school  on  week  days.  He  must  know 
the  real  boys  and  girls,  not  the  substi- 
tutes therefor  who  may  be  before  him  on 
Sunday. 

2.  The  teacher  must  know  his  lesson ; 
not  in  a  general  way,  but  in  its  particulars, 
so  that  he  may  select  therefrom  the  truth 
most  needed  by  the  majority  of  his  class. 

3.  By  patient  study  and  persevering 
practice,  the  teacher  must  learn   how  to 


The  Principle  of  Adaptation       25 

apply  the  truths  of  a  particular  lesson  to 
the  largest  number  in  his  class.  Even 
when  he  does  this,  the  difficulties  referred 
to  in  the  foregoing  will  confront  him, 
and  this  general  application  must  be  sup- 
plemented at  times  by  special  instruc- 
tion. 

The  results  of  modern  investigations 
in  paidology  and  adolescence  should  be 
of  great  help  to  the  teacher  in  determin- 
ing how  to  apply  the  principle  of  adap- 
tation. Take,  for  example,  the  little  be- 
ginners. We  have  learned  that  they 
cannot  listen  long  to  a  set  discourse,  but 
that  they  are  very  sensitive  to  sugges- 
tion. Therefore,  the  wise  teacher  in- 
structs them,  not  by  lecturing  them,  but 
by  suggesting  the  truth  he  wishes  them 
to  receive. 

The  members  of  a  primary  depart- 
ment have  very  vivid  imaginations.  The 
effective  teacher  can  get  his  little  pupils 
to  imagine  almost  anything.     Hence  he 


26  Practical  Pedagogy 

adapts  the  truth  to  their  needs  by  making 
use  of  this  characteristic.  Wonderful 
are  the  facts  narrated  by  skillful  teachers 
as  to  what  they  have  been  enabled  to 
accomplish  by  appealing  to  the  imagi- 
native faculty  of  their  young  learners. 

Advancing  one  step  farther,  we  come 
to  the  junior  department.  We  have 
learned  that  the  members  of  this  section 
of  the  Sunday-school  are  literalists.  It 
is  no  use  appealing  to  their  imagination. 
They  must  have  literal  facts.  Hence  the 
truth  they  need  may  be  applied  by  teach- 
ing them  facts. 

In  the  early  adolescent  period,  doubt  is 
rampant ;  hence  the  efficient  teacher,  in- 
stead of  giving  bald  facts,  presents  the 
truth  to  be  learned  as  it  has  been  incar- 
nated in  persons  who  have  done  things. 

Dogmatic  teaching,  as  well  as  arguing, 
produces  no  effect  upon  the  young 
doubters.  They  will,  however,  admire 
those  who  have  done  things,  and  be  led 


The  Principle  of  Adaptation       27 

to  resolve  to  emulate  them.  The  knowl- 
edge of  this  one  fact  gives  the  alert 
teacher  a  tremendous  leverage  in  apply- 
ing the  principle  of  adaptation. 

As  the  adolescent  gets  older  and  comes 
to  about  his  seventeenth  or  eighteenth 
year,  he  is  longing  for  the  practical  ; 
hence  the  truth  may  be  adapted  to  his 
needs  by  giving  it  to  him  in  a  practical 
rather  than  in  a  theoretical  form. 

When  he  is  a  little  older,  he  will  be 
mightily  interested  in  social  events,  and 
can  be  appealed  to  along  his  social  life. 
For  example,  the  social  teachings  of 
Jesus  may  be  presented  to  him  so  that 
he  will  see  their  value  and  be  led  to  fol- 
low the  example  of  Him  who  went  about 
doing  good. 

These  are  but  a  few  hints  of  what  may 
be  done,  but  they  are  valuable  in  that 
they  indicate  the  necessity  of  variety  in 
presenting  the  same  truth  to  different 
persons. 


Ill 

THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  APPERCEP- 
TION 

FOLLOWING  naturally  the  princi- 
ple of  adaptation  comes  that  of 
apperception.  The  teacher  who 
is  working  for  results,  in  connection  with 
each  lesson,  asks  himself,  seriously,  What 
truth  of  this  lesson  do  my  pupils  most 
need?  In  answering  the  question,  he 
endeavours  to  apply  the  principle  of 
adaptation.  He  then  asks.  How  am  I 
to  get  my  pupils  to  appreciate  and  re- 
ceive this  needed  truth?  In  general 
terms  he  gives  the  answer:  Through 
applying  the  principle  of  apperception. 

Many  good  persons  have  stumbled 
over  the  application  of  this  most  impor- 
tant principle,  because  they  have  made 

difficult  and  complex  that  which  is  really 
28 


The  Principle  of  Apperception     29 

easy  and  simple,  if  rightly  understood. 
Many  other  persons  who  pay  no  atten- 
tion to  formal  pedagogy  apply  this  prin- 
ciple, for  its  application  is  really  essential 
to  all  effective  teaching. 

What,  then,  is  apperception?  It  has 
been  defined  as  *'  the  act  or  process  of 
adding  a  new  idea,  or  a  series  of  new 
ideas  to  an  old  one."  Dr.  Gregory  very 
concisely  and  forcibly  sums  up  the  prin- 
ciple in  his  declaration  :  "  The  truth  to 
be  taught  must  be  learned  through  truth 
already  known."  The  numerous  exhor- 
tations to  "  find  the  point  of  contact  in 
teaching,"  and  the  means  given  as  to  the 
use  to  be  made  of  it,  are  all  applicable  to 
the  principle  of  apperception. 

Perhaps  more  helpful  than  anything 
else  will  be  an  illustration,  showing  how 
this  principle  is  applied.  "  God  is  love" 
is  an  abstract  truth,  difficult  of  comprehen- 
sion by  the  child  mind.  Mother's  love  is 
no  abstraction,  for  it  is  in  active  opera- 


30  Practical  Pedagogy 

tion  for  the  child,  hourly.  The  little 
child  knows  that  mother  loves ;  he  knows 
what  mother  does.  Hence,  in  order  to 
teach  God's  love,  it  would  be  better  to 
begin  with  the  mother  than  with  God. 
Because  the  child  understands  his  moth- 
er's love,  he  may  be  led  to  appreciate 
God's  love.  In  other  words,  through 
what  the  child  already  knows  concerning 
the  love  of  his  mother,  he  may  be  led  to 
understand  something  of  God's  love  for 
him. 

In  the  application  of  this  principle,  the 
old  pedagogical  maxim  :  "  Proceed  from 
the  known  to  the  unknown,"  should  ever 
be  borne  in  mind.  In  the  first  place,  the 
teacher  must  endeavour  to  stand  on  the 
plane  of  the  child's  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience and,  in  the  effort  to  get  him  to 
understand  the  truth,  must  proceed  from 
that  standpoint  rather  than  from  the 
place  which  the  instructor  occupies  in 
thought  and  experience. 


The  Principle  of  Apperception     31 

If  there  be  any  doubt  as  to  where  the 
child  is  standing  in  reference  to  a  given 
truth  to  be  taught,  the  first  thing  to  be 
done  is  to  question  him  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain what  he  knows  about  the  matter  to 
be  placed  before  him. 

As,  however,  all  teachers  are  supposed 
to  be  familiar  with  the  thought  of  their 
pupils,  in  ordinary  cases  time  need  not 
be  consumed  in  this  questioning  process. 
The  necessity  for  knowing  the  child's 
view-point,  however,  emphasizes  the  oft- 
repeated  exhortation  for  the  teacher  to 
become  familiar  with  his  pupils  in  their 
every-day  language,  and  to  know  not 
only  their  ordinary  talk,  but  also  their 
lines  of  thought. 

Perhaps  the  very  best  way  to  apply 
the  principle  of  apperception  is  for  the 
teacher  to  begin  the  lesson  to  be  taught 
with  a  story  concerning  something  which 
is  perfectly  familiar  to  the  child,  the  truth 
of  which  the  child  will  recognize,  and  the 


32  Practical  Pedagogy 

application  of  which  he  will  make  with- 
out any  aid  from  the  teacher.  With  this 
story  as  the  starting  point,  the  efficient 
instructor  will  be  able  to  lead  the  pupil 
on  to  appreciate  the  truth  which  he 
wishes  him  to  apprehend  and  practice. 

One  caution,  however,  must  be  given : 
Do  not  proceed  too  rapidly,  nor  by 
jumps.  Let  the  ascent  from  the  pupil's 
plane  of  knowledge  to  the  truth  to  be 
apprehended  be  gradual  and  by  easy 
stages.  The  pupil  will  then  follow  the 
teacher,  will  be  interested  in  what  is  be- 
ing taught,  and  will  be  able  to  see  the 
force  of  the  truth.  Unless  the  child  does 
see  mentally  what  the  teacher  wishes 
him  to  apprehend,  the  teaching  is  in 
vain.  "  Do  you  see  it  ?  "  is  not  a  super- 
fluous question  in  teaching  truth. 

Right  here  comes  in  the  value  of  the 
review.  The  wide-awake  teacher  may 
ascertain  how  far  the  truth  has  been 
grasped   by   questioning   the   pupils   on 


The  Principle  of  Apperception     33 

what  has  already  been  gone  over.  The 
writer  once  addressed  some  children,  and 
was  very  much  encouraged  by  the  ac- 
tions of  a  little  fellow  sitting  in  front  of 
him,  who  nodded  vigorously  when  the 
speaker  said  that  he  was  going  to  tell  of 
a  certain  man,  and  wished  the  children 
either  to  tell  their  parents  his  name,  or 
tell  the  story  and  find  from  them  his 
name.  The  speaker  went  on  to  narrate 
the  story  of  the  conversion  of  Paul,  and 
the  little  fellow  showed  by  smile  and  ges- 
ture that  he  appreciated  what  was  going 
on.  A  kindergartner,  who  sat  beside 
him,  was  not  so  sure  that  he  took  the 
thing  in.     So  she  said  : 

"Freddie,  for  what  are  you  nodding 
your  head?" 

"Because  I  know  who  that  man  is 
talking  about." 

"You  do?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"About  whom  is  he  talking?" 


34  Practical  Pedagogy 

"  George  Washington,"  came  the 
prompt  and  emphatic  answer,  showing 
that  the  little  fellow  had  missed  the  point 
entirely,  and  also  indicating  how  val- 
uable the  review  is. 

To  ascertain  how  Jesus  applied  this 
principle  of  apperception,  the  teacher 
should  read  and  reread  the  account  of 
the  Master's  interview  with  the  woman 
of  Samaria  at  Jacob's  well.  Here  the 
great  Teacher  got  the  ignorant  woman 
to  understand  that  He  was  the  Messiah, 
but  He  began  by  talking  to  her  about  the 
water,  with  which  she  was  familiar,  and 
in  which  she  was  so  much  interested. 
Then,  step  by  step.  He  led  her  to  an  ap- 
preciation of  the  great  truth  He  wished 
her  to  learn,  so  that  she  went  to  her 
neighbours  and  said,  **  Come,  see  a  man 
who  told  me  all  things  that  ever  I  did  : 
can  this  be  the  Christ?" 


IV 

THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  CORRE- 
LATION 

A  REFERENCE  made  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  correlation  in  the  presence 
of  a  group  of  day-school  teachers 
drew  forth  expressive  smiles.  An  ex- 
planation being  asked  as  to  the  reason 
for  the  smiling  elicited  the  declaration : 
"  We  are  tired  of  hearing  about  correla- 
tion." This  led  to  further  questions  and 
answers,  the  result  of  which  may  be 
summed  up  as  follows  :  The  application 
of  the  principle  of  correlation  has  been 
carried  to  such  extremes,  and  so  many 
absurdities  have  been  attached  to  the 
principle  itself,  that  many  teachers  do  not 
wish  to  hear  anything  about  it.  For 
example,  a  young  student  in  a  normal 
class  once  had  her  notes  on  a  certain 
subject  marked  way  down  because,  as 
35 


36  Practical  Pedagogy- 

she  was  told,  the  colour  scheme  on  the 
cover  of  her  note-book  was  not  correlated 
to  the  subject  matter  of  the  lectures.  She 
was  naturally  indignant,  and  when  she 
related  her  experience  to  her  fellovv^  stu- 
dents, some  of  them  recalled  incidents 
equally  foolish. 

It  is  these  absurdities  that  bring  a 
good  thing  into  disrepute.  The  Sunday- 
school  teacher  need  not  go  to  such  ex- 
tremes. He  ought  to  bear  in  mind  that 
correlation  may  be  said  to  be  *'  The  act 
or  process  of  putting  a  number  of  truths 
or  facts  in  proper  relation  to  a  truth  or 
fact  to  be  learned."  Applying  this  defi- 
nition, the  day-school  teacher,  or  the 
college  professor,  would  endeavour  to 
bring  various  subjects  already  learned 
by  the  student  to  bear  upon  the  par- 
ticular truth  or  fact  he  is  about  to  teach. 
For  example,  history  and  geography  may 
be  correlated  so  that  the  pupil  will  be 
helped  in  the  study  of  one  by  what  he 


The  Principle  of  Correlation       37 

knows  about  the  other.  As  the  student 
advances  and  begins  the  study  of  foreign 
languages,  what  he  knows  of  history 
and  geography  becomes  useful  in  con- 
nection with  his  study  of  language.  So 
in  regard  to  literature,  law,  ethics,  phi- 
losophy, and  many  other  branches  of 
learning.  By  correlating  the  various 
subjects  studied,  what  the  pupil  has 
already  learned  may  be  reviewed  and 
impressed  in  an  easy  and  agreeable 
manner,  and  employed  as  a  help  in  the 
acquisition  of  more  knowledge. 

It  is  well  known  that  one  of  the  criti- 
cisms made  against  Sunday-school  work 
by  educators  is  that  Bible  facts  and  truths 
are  taught  by  what  is  known  as  the 
"  hop-skip-and-jump  "  method.  It  must 
be  confessed  that  there  is  much  truth  in 
this  criticism.  At  the  same  time,  how- 
ever, the  teacher  who  understands  and 
endeavours  to  apply  the  principle  of  cor- 
relation may  do  much  to   disarm   such 


38  Practical  Pedagogy 

criticism.  The  day  is  here  in  some 
schools,  and  is  doubtless  coming  in  most 
schools,  when  there  will  be  a  supple- 
mental scheme  of  study — simple,  clear, 
comprehensive — which  will  serve  as  an 
outline  for  the  work  of  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  to  which  the  teacher  may 
correlate  what  the  pupil  learns  as  the 
weeks  go  by.  For  example,  why  should 
there  not  be  in  the  mind  of  every  Sunday- 
school  pupil  of  average  intelligence  a 
simple  outline  of  Old  Testament  history, 
that  should  be  the  point  from  which  the 
teacher  starts  in  his  instruction  concern- 
ing any  given  Biblical  fact  or  teaching, 
and  to  which  he  constantly  returns? 
Again,  why  should  there  not  be  memo- 
rized by  the  ordinary  Sunday-school 
member  an  outline  of  the  life  of  Christ, 
and  another  outline  of  the  work  of  the 
apostles  ?  With  these  simple  outlines  in 
view,  every  lesson  that  is  taught  can  be 
correlated  with  truth  already  in  the  mind 


The  Principle  of  Correlation       39 

of  the  learner.  More  than  this,  facts, 
incidents  and  truths  may  be  correlated 
so  that  there  will  be  a  continually  in- 
creasing amount  of  information  on 
Biblical  subjects  mastered,  instead  of  the 
great  mass  of  undigested,  unassimilated 
material  that  eludes  the  grasp  of  the 
average  Bible  student  of  to-day. 

Take  the  great  hymns  that  we  study  ; 
why  should  they  not  be  correlated  with 
the  Scriptural  incidents  upon  which  many 
of  them  are  founded?  When,  for  ex- 
ample, the  teacher  is  having  his  pupils 
memorize,  or  even  sing,  "  Nearer,  My 
God,  to  Thee,"  why  should  he  not  cor- 
relate that  with  the  story  of  Jacob  on 
which  it  is  founded  ? 

Perhaps  a  few  hints  will  be  helpful  to 
the  teacher  who  wishes  to  make  use  of 
the  principle  of  correlation. 

I.  Have  clearly  in  mind  some  things 
that  are  essential  to  the  understanding  of 
the  sweep  of  Bible  history. 


40  Practical  Pedagogy 

2.  Teach  these  in  outline  form,  as  has 
been  suggested  in  the  foregoing. 

3.  Whenever  a  lesson  is  being  studied, 
correlate  it  with  as  much  as  possible  of 
the  outline  to  which  it  belongs. 

4.  Correlate  the  lesson  of  to-day  with 
what  has  already  been  learned  about  the 
Bible  in  general. 

5.  Correlate  the  pupil's  Biblical  stud- 
ies with  his  day-school  lessons.  For 
instance,  his  knowledge  of  geography 
and  history,  and  what  he  is  learning 
concerning  current  events,  all  may  be 
made  use  of  in  impressing  Scripture  facts 
and  truths. 

6.  In  the  application  of  this  principle 
keep  in  mind  the  great  value  of  the  re- 
view, which  need  not  be  very  elaborate, 
but  which  should  always  be  by  ques- 
tions in  connection  with  everything 
taught. 

What  will  be  the  result  of  all  this  ?  If 
definitely   and    consistendy   carried   out 


The  Principle  of  Correlation       41 

the  appUcation  of  the  principle  of  corre- 
lation will  result  in  enabling  the  pupil  to 
recall  unconsciously  and,  thus,  to  review 
and  to  impress  things  that,  otherwise, 
would  be  forgotten.  When  he  reads,  he 
will  fall  into  the  habit  of  correlating  his 
reading  with  what  he  already  knows, 
and  so  be  helped  in  retaining  it.  When 
he  listens  to  a  sermon,  or  lecture,  he  will 
be  able  to  put  what  the  speaker  is  saying 
into  its  proper  relation  with  other  things 
he  knows. 

This  will  not  all  come  at  once,  and 
the  less  conscious  the  effort  needed  in 
realizing  it,  the  better.  Such  a  system 
is  so  far  superior  to  the  present  plan  of 
teaching  isolated  facts  and  truths,  and 
calling  what  is  given  Biblical  instruction, 
that  it  needs  only  to  be  presented  to  the 
attention  of  the  intelligent  teacher  to  be 
appreciated. 

The  skillful  day-school  teacher  obtains 
remarkable  results  by  applying  the  prin- 


42  Practical  Pedagogy 

ciple  of  correlation.  For  example,  he 
wishes  to  teach  the  story  of  Bunker  Hill. 
He  does  not  tell  the  pupils  to  read  that 
story,  nor  does  he  narrate  it  himself. 
On  the  contrary  he  brings  into  play 
every  power  of  their  intellect  and  corre- 
lates what  he  teaches  with  what  they 
already  know.  He  does  it  somewhat 
after  this  fashion,  and  he  does  it  quickly, 
for  he  has  but  a  few  moments  for  this 
particular  study.  With  a  smile  as  if  he 
were  conferring  upon  them  a  privilege, 
he  asks.  How  many  of  you  boys  would 
like  to  tell  me  something  about  Bunker 
Hill? 

What  American  boy  is  there,  who  is 
normal,  who  would  not  like  to  tell  some- 
thing about  Bunker  Hill  ?  Hands  go  up, 
and  the  teacher's  smile  is  reflected  by 
the  boys.  Quickly  he  calls  on  one  after 
another  to  tell  what  they  know  concern- 
ing the  famous  battle-ground,  while  he 
urges  the  other  boys  to  be  watchful  and 


The  Principle  of  Correlation       43 

note  carefully  any  mistakes  that  are  made 
and  be  ready  to  supply  any  omissions. 
So  thoroughly  does  he  and  the  pupils 
enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion  that 
every  one  is  on  the  alert ;  even  the  most 
sluggish  boy  in  the  room  wakes  up  and 
has  something  to  say  about  Bunker  Hill. 

One  suggests  that  he  can  point  out 
Bunker  Hill  on  the  map.  He  is  allowed 
to  do  so,  thus  correlating  the  study  of 
history  with  the  study  of  geography. 

Another  boy  has  learned  the  poem, 
"The  Sword  of  Bunker  Hill,"  and  is  per- 
mitted to  recite  a  stanza  or  two,  so  cor- 
relating his  history  with  his  memory  work 
and  with  his  English  studies. 

A  pupil  has  visited  Bunker  Hill  and 
desires  to  tell  what  he  saw  there.  This 
the  teacher  allows  him  to  do,  and  the 
boy's  history  work  becomes  a  part  of  his 
own  life. 

Another  recalls  the  fact  that  in  a  cer- 
tain reader  there  is  a  story  about  Bunker 


44  Practical  Pedagogy 

Hill.  He  is  quickly  sent  to  obtain  that 
reader,  and  on  his  return  is  allowed  to 
read  the  selection.  This  he  considers  a 
great  privilege,  while  the  teacher  is  cor- 
relating the  boy's  reading  lesson  with  the 
history  lesson. 

Finally,  for  the  sake  of  emphasis  and 
reimpression,  the  teacher  retells  the  story 
of  Bunker  Hill,  dwelling  upon  such  points 
as  he  wishes  to  be  fixed  in  the  minds 
and  worked  out  in  the  lives  of  the  pupils. 

The  principle  of  correlation  may  be 
applied  further  by  the  teacher  assigning 
this  story  of  Bunker  Hill  as  the  subject 
of  a  composition.  In  this  way  it  is  cor- 
related with  the  language  lesson  and  the 
writing  lesson. 

How  different  this  is  from  the  work  of 
the  old-fashioned  teacher  who  endeav- 
oured to  extract  as  many  truths  as  pos- 
sible from  a  verse  of  Scripture,  and  im- 
press them  all  on  the  minds  of  the  pupils. 
The    resultant   was    a    nebulous    mental 


The  Principle  of  Correlation       45 

something  which  was  far  from  any  clear- 
cut  knowledge  of  Scripture. 

The  day-school  teacher  who  taught  the 
lesson  of  Bunker  Hill  had  a  purpose  be- 
yond that  of  merely  leaving  facts  in  the 
minds  of  his  pupils.  He  wished  to  make 
them  patriots.  The  teaching  of  the  lesson 
was  one  of  the  means  to  this  end.  There- 
fore, although  he  said  nothing  about  it, 
running  through  all  his  questioning  and 
all  his  efforts  to  make  real  the  story  of 
Bunker  Hill  was  the  thought  that  he 
wished  to  send  his  students  forth  into 
the  world  to  think,  speak  and  act  as 
patriots.  This  thought  led  to  the  appli- 
cation of  the  principle  of  concentration 
with  which  the  next  chapter  deals. 


THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  CONCENTRA- 
TION 

LET  us  suppose  that  the  thought 
which  the  teacher  wishes  to  im- 
press upon  the  pupils'  minds  is 
the  Scriptural  statement :  "  God  is  love," 
and  the  expression  which  he  wishes  to 
have  of  this  truth  in  the  lives  of  the 
pupils  is :  "  Love  manifested  for  God, 
because  He  loves  us."  The  teacher  has 
prepared  himself  to  apply  the  principle 
of  correlation  in  presenting  this  truth, 
illustrating  it  from  various  standpoints, 
backing  it  up  by  Bible  texts,  and  endeav- 
ouring, in  various  ways,  to  impress  it 
upon  the  minds  of  the  pupils.  There  is, 
however,  on  their  part  a  tendency  to  de- 
part from  the  subject,  and  discuss  other 

matters.     What    is    the  teacher  to   do  ? 
46 


The  Principle  of  Concentration     47 

Here  is  where  he  is  to  apply  his  principle 
of  concentration. 

A  teacher's  success  in  the  application 
of  this  principle  will  depend,  as  success 
in  other  directions  depends,  on  the  prepa- 
ration he  has  made,  not  only  for  the 
teaching  of  this  particular  truth,  but  also 
in  his  general  studies.  Giving  the  pupil 
as  wide  a  range  as  possible  for  his  ques- 
tions, suggestions  and  objections,  the  effi- 
cient teacher  has  so  prepared  his  lesson 
material  that  he  has  it  not  only  well 
digested,  but  well  in  mind,  so  that  by  the 
skillful  introduction  of  a  pertinent  illus- 
tration, or  a  striking  question,  he  can 
turn  the  attention  of  those  whom  he  is 
trying  to  lead  into  the  truth  to  that  truth. 
A  litde  experience  will  enable  him  to  an- 
ticipate the  kind  of  questions  his  pupils 
will  be  likely  to  ask.  With  these  ques- 
tions in  mind,  he  will  have  ready  answers 
for  them,  which  answers  will  help  him  to 
concentrate  on  the  subject  under  discus- 


48  Practical  Pedagogy 

sion.  Moreover,  his  knowledge  of  the 
pupils  will  enable  him  to  understand  at 
about  what  points  they  will  become  rest- 
less, and,  as  is  shown  in  the  chapter  on 
**  Attention,"  he  will  be  able  skillfully  to 
interject  those  things  into  the  lesson 
which  will  bring  back  the  wandering 
thoughts  to  the  point  where  he  wishes 
to  have  them  fixed. 

While  it  is  easy  to  write  these  things, 
the  difficulty  connected  with  them  is  ap- 
preciated. Hence,  a  little  more  definite- 
ness  may  be  employed  in  suggesting  the 
particular  kinds  of  preparation  necessary 
to  observe  the  principle  of  concentration, 
where  the  members  of  the  class  are  likely 
to  be  interested  in  things  other  than  the 
one  discussed. 

In  the  first  place,  the  point  to  be  im- 
pressed upon  the  pupils  is  the  one  that 
should  be  on  the  line  of  their  needs,  rather 
than  the  one  the  teacher  needs.  For  ex- 
ample, to  teach  a  lot  of  boys  that  God 


The  Principle  of  Concentration     49 

loves  them  so  much  that  He  will  give 
them  grace  for  the  dying  hour  is  absurd. 
On  the  other  hand,  to  endeavour  to  show 
them  that  God  loves  them  so  much  that 
He  is  interested,  not  only  in  their  per- 
sonal salvation,  but  also  in  their  sports, 
their  studies  and  their  every-day  trials 
and  triumphs,  is  to  bring  the  subject 
down  to  the  plane  where  boys  are  living. 

In  the  second  place,  after  the  thought 
to  be  impressed  has  been  decided  upon, 
the  teacher  should  marshal  his  facts,  illus- 
trations, suggestions  and  questions  in 
such  a  way  that  however  diverse  they 
may  seem  in  scope,  they  will  all  really 
be  focused  on  this  one  great  truth  :  "  God 
is  love." 

Again,  the  teacher,  having  arranged 
his  material,  should  put  it  in  some  form 
that  will  make  it  available  when  the  re- 
sult is  to  be  striven  for.  An  outline 
memorized  is  far  the  best,  for  this  plan 
of  preparation  enables  the  teacher  to  look 


50  Practical  Pedagogy 

the  pupils  in  the  eye  as  he  is  imparting 
the  truth.  As  it  is  impossible  for  some 
to  memorize  in  this  way,  the  next  best 
thing  is  to  have  an  outline  on  a  small 
piece  of  paper,  so  arranged  that  the  eye 
can  readily  take  in  the  salient  features. 

The  preparation  so  far  presupposes 
that  there  are  to  be  no  difBculties  in  the 
class,  but  there  will  be  difficulties.  Hence, 
the  teacher  should  bring  into  play  his 
knowledge  of  the  pupils  in  asking  him- 
self beforehand  what  they  are  likely  to 
say,  and  what  they  are  likely  to  do  at 
given  points  in  the  lesson  presentation, 
and  in  preparing  to  meet  whatever  may 
be  interposed  by  the  pupils  having  a 
tendency  to  draw  the  thoughts  of  the 
members  of  the  class  from  the  subject 
under  consideration. 

The  thought  of  self-mastery  is  a  very 
important  one  in  this  connection.  The 
teacher  who  wishes  to  employ,  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  all  concerned,  the  principle 


The  Principle  of  Concentration      51 

under  consideration  must  be  master  of 
himself.     In  the  measure  that  this  is  the 
fact,  will  he  be  successful.     It  is  the  one 
who  is  not  quite  sure  of  himself,  because 
he  is  not  quite  sure  of  what  he  is  going 
to  teach,  and  how  he  is  going  to  teach  it, 
that  is  relieved  when  something  occurs  to 
give  him  or  some  one  else  a  chance  to 
talk.    The  masterful  teacher,  knowing  the 
point  at  which  he  is  aiming,  and  the  steps 
.  by  which  he  is  to  arrive  at  that  point,  is 
able  to  allow  his  pupils  to  wander  a  little, 
having  confidence  in  his  ability  to  draw 
them  back.    This,  of  course,  means  prep- 
aration of  the  kind  suggested  here ;  but 
it  is  preparation  that  is  well  worth  the 
best  effort  of  any  one.     At  first  it  will 
be  a  little  difficult.     In  this,  however,  as 
in    all    other   matters,    *' Practice   makes 
perfect."     That  which  was  hard  at  first 
will,  by  degrees,  become  easier,  and  the 
teacher  who  is  determined  to  apply  the 
principle  of  concentration  will  soon  form 


52  Practical  Pedagogy 

those  habits  of  study  and  instruction  that 
will  make  it  easy  for  him  to  do  so. 

One  truth  taught  on  each  Sunday  of 
the  year  is  better  than  fifty-two  truths 
taught  on  one  Sunday,  is  a  declaration 
which  every  teacher  should  consider. 
Only  he  who  understands  and  applies 
the  principle  of  concentration  can  hope 
to  approximate  to  the  truth  of  this  state- 
ment. Hence,  while  many  things  may 
be  auxiliary  and  subsidiary  in  teaching, 
the  chief  endeavour  should  be  to  impress 
one  vital  truth  during  each  study  period. 


VI 

IMITATION 

THAT  remarkable  booklet  by 
Bishop  Huntington,  entitled 
"  Unconscious  Tuition,"  should 
not  only  be  read,  but  its  contents  should 
be  mastered,  by  every  person  who  wishes 
to  influence  others.  After  the  truths  of 
the  book  have  been  made  one's  own, 
it  should  be  reread  at  least  every  six 
months,  so  as  to  keep  its  teachings  fresh 
in  mind.  The  argument  of  the  expe- 
rienced author  is :  The  teacher  is  uncon- 
sciously exerting  an  influence  over  the 
pupil  continuously  and,  therefore,  should 
be  very  careful  that  that  influence  be  of 
the  highest.  The  fact  that  the  young, 
especially,  are  prone  to  imitate,  should 
give  added  interest  on  the  part  of  all 
teachers  to  the  thought  of  this  book. 
One  has  but  to  watch  a  group  oi 
5J 


54  Practical  Pedagogy- 

young  children  at  play  to  be  convinced 
that  much  of  what  they  are  doing  is  in 
imitation  of  their  elders.  The  stories  that 
find  their  way  into  the  funny  papers  in 
reference  to  the  ridiculous  things  children 
do  while  acting  the  part  of  their  parents 
may  be  fiction  as  to  detail,  but  are  true 
as  to  the  great  fact  that  these  little  ones 
are  imitators.  As  the  pupil  becomes 
older,  there  is,  of  course,  more  and  more 
of  originality  on  his  part,  especially  dur- 
ing the  period  of  early  adolescence,  when 
he  breaks  away  from  all  authority,  and 
is  bound  by  no  rule.  Giving  due  con- 
sideration to  this  fact,  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted, however,  that  all  persons  are, 
to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  imitators. 
As  the  majority  of  the  members  of  our 
Sunday-school  are  young,  it  will  well 
repay  the  teacher  to  give  diligent  heed 
to  this  trait  of  his  pupils,  for  it  may  form 
a  leverage  by  means  of  which  he  can 
raise  them  to  higher  things. 


Imitation  55 

Leaving  the  general  consideration  of 
the  subject,  it  may  be  of  more  value  to 
consider  some  particulars  in  which  the 
proneness  to  imitate  on  the  part  of  the 
pupil  may  be  used  to  advantage  in  the 
work  of  the  Sunday-school. 

I.  Order.  It  is  a  saying  now  adopted 
among  Sunday-school  experts  :  **  An  or- 
derly superintendent  makes  an  orderly 
school."  While  there  are,  of  course,  ex- 
ceptions, the  principle  holds  true.  The 
school  is  often  a  reflex  of  the  superin- 
tendent ;  not  what  he  is  occasionally, 
but  what  he  is  generally,  especially  when 
he  is  of!  his  guard,  or  not  on  parade 
duty.  Recognizing  this  truth,  the  super- 
intendent who  wishes  for  order  in  his 
school  must  first  of  all  be  orderly.  In 
the  second  place,  instead  of  scolding  or 
giving  commands,  he  will  show  his 
teachers,  his  workers  and  the  pupils,  by 
his  example,  just  what  he  wants.  What 
is  true  of  the  superintendent  may  be  pred- 


56  Practical  Pedagogy 

icated  of  the  other  officers  of  the  school, 
and  of  the  teachers.  Given  a  school 
where  the  officers  and  teachers  work  to- 
gether in  harmony,  and  are  in  good  order 
as  a  rule,  it  will  not  be  difficult  to  reg- 
ulate the  discipline  of  the  school. 

2.  Reverence.  A  noted  superintend- 
ent of  a  large  primary  department  had 
so  well  learned  the  power  of  imitation 
on  her  pupils  that  she  produced  a  re- 
markable influence  upon  their  lives  and 
conduct  by  her  own  manner  of  doing 
things.  For  example,  instead  of  telling 
them  that  they  must  reverence  the  name 
of  Jesus,  she  always  pronounced  that 
name  in  such  a  way  that  the  children 
instinctively  felt  that  she  reverenced  it. 
Instead  of  telling  them  how  to  regulate 
their  voices  when  engaged  in  prayer, 
she  so  modulated  her  tones  as  to  pro- 
duce a  quieting  effect  upon  the  little 
ones.  It  was  not  necessary  for  her  to 
say  very  much  in  reference  to  reverence 


Imitation  57 

for  God's  Word,  for  she  spoke  so  ten- 
derly of  it,  and  even  handled  the  book 
itself  so  reverently  that  everybody  in  the 
class  was  impressed  with  the  thought 
that  reverence  should  be  paid  to  it. 
This  illustration  will  suffice  to  show  that 
the  best  way  to  inculcate  reverence  in 
the  Sunday-school  is  to  be  reverent  one's 

self. 

3.  A  sermon  preached  has  a  certain 
effect;  a  sermon  lived  produces  far 
greater  results.  Take,  for  example,  the 
doubting  period  of  early  and  middle 
adolescence ;  it  is  almost  impossible  by 
argument  to  convince  the  young  doubters 
concerning  certain  things.  They  are, 
however,  all  eyes  when  they  see  the 
truth  lived.  Incarnated  in  one  who 
preaches  it,  the  effect  is  powerful.  Hence, 
to  get  others  to  believe  and  to  do  accord- 
ing to  the  truths  for  which  the  Sunday- 
school  stands,  due  regard  must  be  paid 
to  this  trait  of  imitation. 


58  Practical  Pedagogy 

The  realization  at  these  truths  which 
have  such  a  high  pedagogical  value 
should  be  a  means  of  encouragement  for 
the  teacher.  There  are  those  who  may 
not  be  very  learned  ;  there  are  others  who 
may  not  be  very  eloquent ;  there  are 
many  who  regret  that  their  teaching  in 
the  class  seems  to  have  such  little  influ- 
ence upon  their  pupils  ;  there  is  no  one, 
however,  who  need  be  cast  down,  for 
every  one  is  exerting  a  potent  influence 
upon  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  con- 
tact. When  the  young  man  said  he  was 
converted  through  his  uncle's  practicing, 
he  expressed,  in  a  very  concise  manner, 
the  great  principle  which  we  would  have 
all  Sunday-school  teachers  grasp,  namely  : 
There  is  no  limit  to  what  may  be  done 
because  of  the  trait  of  imitation. 

With  these  truths  in  mind,  it  is  not 
difficult  to  find  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter.  The  effective  teacher,  first 
of   all,  endeavours  to  do  what  he  wishes 


Imitation  59 

others  to  do.  Being  and  doing  himself, 
the  spoken  word  but  helps  influence  the 
more  forcible  speaking  of  his  every-day 
life  and  action.  The  oft-quoted  expres- 
sion of  Emerson,  "  What  you  are  speaks 
so  loud  that  I  cannot  hear  what  you  say,'* 
is  but  a  summing  up  of  the  truths  illus- 
trated in  the  foregoing.  Let  us,  then, 
take  courage  and  resolve  that  with  God's 
help  we  will  make  the  very  highest  pos- 
sible use  of  the  propensity  to  imitate  on 
the  part  of  our  pupils,  to  lead  them  into 
the  truth,  and  to  help  them  live  it.  As 
we  make  this  our  endeavour,  let  us  not 
forget  that  Jesus  Christ  is  our  great  ex- 
ample, and  that  if  we  imitate  Him  we 
shall  be  holding  up  a  model  for  our 
pupils  of  which  we  need  not  be  ashamed. 
In  the  measure  that  we  are  influenced  by 
Christ  Himself,  will  we  unconsciously 
lead  others  to  be  like  Him. 


VII 

CURIOSITY 

MANY  expert  teachers  realize  the 
value,  pedagogically,  of  the 
trait  which  we  commonly  call 
curiosity.  This  characteristic  is  espe- 
cially marked  in  children  of  the  primary 
age,  but  we  have  ample  proof  that  it  is 
not  lacking  in  children  of  older  growth  ; 
indeed  mature  adults  have  been  known 
to  be  impelled  by  curiosity.  Hence,  in 
all  departments  of  the  Sunday-school  it 
may  be  employed  as  an  ally  to  the 
teacher  whose  endeavour  is  to  impress 
truth. 

Every  kindergartner  knows  how  prone 
her    little    folks    are    to    tear   things  in 
pieces,  to    break    their  toys  and   other- 
wise demolish  what  comes  before  them. 
60 


Curiosity  6l 

This  tendency  is  not  the  result  of  pure 
wantonness,  but  of  the  desire  to  learn. 
It  is  taken  advantage  of  by  putting  the 
child  to  construct  rather  than  to  destroy, 
that  is  to  say,  the  positive  is  used  to 
overcome  the  negative.     Hence,  we  find 
the  children  of  the  kindergarten  largely 
employed    in    putting    things  together. 
This  employment  not  only  gives  them 
something  to  do,  but  also  satisfies  their 
curiosity  as  in   manual   work  they  are 
getting  answers  to  many  of  the  "  whys  " 
that  play  such  a  large  part  in  their  con- 
versation.     Here    is    a    suggestion  for 
teachers  of  beginners  in  Sunday-school. 
The  boy  of  primary  age  who  dug  a 
big  hole  in  the  corner  of  the  garden  for 
no  other  purpose  than  that  of  discovering 
what  was  "down  there"  is  a  representa- 
tive of  a  large  class.     To  this  company 
belongs  the  other  boy  who  explored  his 
father's  watch  with  a  stone  and  became 
satisfied    that    there  was  something  in 


62  Practical  Pedagogy 

there  that  "  made  it  go."  This  propensity 
to  discover  things  is  taken  advantage  of 
by  the  primary  teacher  who  knows  her 
pupils.  One  such  carries  a  black  bag  in 
which  nearly  every  Sunday  she  has  an 
object,  picture  or  something  else  with 
which  to  surprise  her  pupils. 

"Teacher,  what  have  you  in  your  bag 
to-day?"  is  a  question  with  which  she  is 
frequently  greeted.  To  this  she  has  a 
ready  answer,  which  tends  to  whet  the 
curiosity  of  the  questioner,  who  soon 
spreads  the  news  throughout  the  room  : 
"  Teacher  has  something  fine  to  show  us 
to-day."  On  the  Sunday  that  she  wished 
to  impress  the  fact  that  evil  companions 
led  those  associated  with  them  into  evil, 
she  had  a  fine  red  apple  in  her  bag.  For 
some  time  the  children  had  no  idea  of 
what  was  coming.  At  the  proper  mo- 
ment the  teacher  produced  the  apple  and 
began  to  talk  about  it,  dwelling  par- 
ticularly on  its  form  and  beauty.     They 


Curiosity  63 

were  all  alive  with  interest,  when  she 
turned  to  a  spot  which  had  been  covered 
and  showed  them  that  it  was  bruised.  It 
took  but  little  eliort  to  get  the  children  to 
imagine  how  the  ellects  of  that  bruise 
would  spread,  and  the  beautiful  apple 
soon  become  a  mass  of  decay.  Then  the 
gist  of  what  she  wished  to  teach  was  un- 
derstood, for  this  skillful  instructor  had 
made  use  of  the  God-given  trait  of 
curiosity  in  such  a  way  that  she  had  led 
on  step  by  step  until  her  little  ones  fully 
comprehended  the  point  she  endeavoured 
to  make. 

How  frequently  the  primary  teacher 
nullifies  the  advantages  of  the  appeal  to 
curiosity  by  satisfying  it  before  the 
proper  time  I  A  picture  uncovered  in 
view  of  the  pupils  is  eagerly  scanned  by 
them,  but  becomes  useless  as  an  aid  in 
teaching,  for  their  curiosity  has  led  them  to 
look  for  and  take  in  all  that  they  desired 
in  connection  with  the  picture.     Hence 


64  Practical  Pedagogy 

objects,  symbols  and  other  aids  in  in- 
struction should  not  be  exposed  to  view- 
in  such  a  way  that  their  value  is  lost  be- 
cause those  for  whom  they  are  intended 
get  all  they  can  take  from  them  before 
the  teacher  begins  her  lesson. 

As  we  go  upward  in  the  graded  school 
we  are  reimpressed  with  the  fact  that 
curiosity  plays  an  important  part  in  the 
teaching  of  the  various  departments.  A 
junior  teacher  who  plans  her  devotional 
services  and  lesson  teaching  so  that  the 
pupils  do  not  know  just  what  is  coming,  by 
little  prepared,  interesting  surprises  may 
keep  them  on  the  alert  with  expectation 
because  she  arouses,  but  does  not  quite 
satisfy,  their  curiosity.  If  they  know 
just  what  is  coming  and  can  imagine 
about  what  teacher  is  going  to  say,  they 
will  be  listless,  indifferent  and  unrespon- 
sive. 

How  frequently  do  we  hear  expressions 
like    this    from    the   young    adolescent, 


Curiosity  65 

*' Nothing  doing."  The  alert  teacher 
makes  it  impossible  for  his  pupils  to  say 
this  concerning  him,  for  he  plans  so  to 
surprise  his  class  that  they  will  be  led  to 
confess  that  something  is  being  done  all 
the  time.  In  other  words  by  getting  out 
of  ruts  and  pursuing  new  paths  and  by- 
ways of  instruction,  he  keeps  the  curiosity 
of  his  young  people  awake  and  satisfies 
it  just  enough  to  make  them  want  to 
know  what  is  coming  next. 

The  writer  once  witnessed  what  was  to 
him  a  most  satisfactory  exhibition  of  how 
the  curiosity  of  young  women  may  be 
used  as  a  pedagogical  aid.  The  class 
was  seated  in  three  double  pews  at  the 
rear  of  the  auditorium  of  the  church. 
Standing  in  front  of  the  rows  of  well 
dressed  young  women  was  a  teacher  not 
much  older  than  her  pupils.  She  had 
her  Bible  open  in  her  hand  and  pro- 
ceeded to  ask  questions  therefrom  and 
give    explanations.     Although    she    fre- 


66  Practical  Pedagogy 

quently  looked  at  the  Bible,  it  seemed  as 
if  her  eyes  were  continuously  on  her 
class,  taking  them  all  in  as  she  glanced 
along  row  after  row.  When  she  noticed 
the  least  tendency  to  inattention,  she 
quietly  leaned  over  to  the  pew  in  front  of 
her  and  Hfted  up  something  in  such  a 
way  that  no  one  could  tell  just  what  it 
was.  Her  very  action  was  intended  to 
appeal  to  the  curiosity  of  the  young 
ladies.  It  did  not  take  many  seconds  for 
every  eye  to  be  riveted  upon  her.  Then 
she  showed  what  was  in  her  hand — a 
picture  illustrating  that  part  of  the  lesson 
text  on  which  she  was  engaged.  When 
the  picture  was  laid  down  the  teacher 
proceeded  with  her  conversational  in- 
struction until  she  realized  that  it  was 
time  for  another  appeal.  Then  the 
second  picture  was  produced  in  such  a 
way  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  every 
one.  Perhaps  six  times  during  the  half 
hour  of  instruction  this  method  was  re- 


Curiosity  67 

sorted  to  with  such  success  that  the  vis- 
itor learned  a  lesson  he  has  never  forgot- 
ten. In  conversation  with  one  familiar 
with  the  methods  of  this  instructor  it  was 
ascertained  that  she  never  makes  an  ap- 
peal twice  in  exactly  the  same  way. 
Every  Sunday  she  has  something  to  ex- 
cite the  curiosity  of  her  pupils,  which  she 
satisfies  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave  an  im- 
pression of  the  truth  she  has  to  teach. 

A  most  remarkable  exhibition  of  great 
teaching  was  witnessed  in  a  class  of  men, 
the  teacher  of  which,  adroitly,  from  time 
to  time,  appealed  to  the  curiosity  of  his 
fellow     men.     When     the     investigator 
asked  one  of  the  members  of  the  class 
why  it  was  that  the  teacher  was  so  suc- 
cessful,  he  was   informed,   **  He   always 
keeps  us  guessing ;  we  never  know  just 
what  he  is  going  to  do ;  he  never  does 
the  same  thing  twice  in  the  same  way ; 
every  Sunday  we  know  that  we  are  go- 
ing to  get  something  good,  but  we  do 


68  Practical  Pedagogy 

not  know  what  it  is."  Here  is  a  man 
who  understands  human  nature  so  well, 
and  is  willing  to  make  such  preparation 
that  he  can  keep  the  curiosity  of  his  class 
on  edge  week  after  week.  Of  course,  it 
would  be  worse  than  folly  for  him  to  at- 
tempt to  do  this  unless  he  had  something 
to  satisfy  the  aroused  curiosity.  Much 
thought,  prayer  and  labour  are  expended 
by  him  in  preparing  to  meet  the  curiosity 
which  he  knows  keeps  his  pupils  won- 
dering what  he  is  going  to  do  next. 

''Look  at  this,"  said  a  man  on  the 
platform  to  the  large  school  that  he  was 
about  to  review  on  the  lesson  of  the  day. 
As  he  uttered  the  exclamation  he  held  a 
piece  of  chalk  lightly  against  the  black- 
board and  stood  with  his  back  to  the 
school.  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  nar- 
rate it,  nearly  every  eye  was  turned 
towards  his  hand,  and  every  one  was 
waiting  expectantly  to  see  what  he 
would    do.     In    other    words    he    had 


Curiosity  69 

aroused     the     curiosity     of     the    whole 
school    by  a    simple    exclamation    and 
the  movement  of   his   hand   containing 
the   piece   of  chalk.     Turning  from  the 
board  he  said,   ''Thank  you;  I  wanted 
you  to  look  at  me."     The  members  of 
the  school  smiled  and  good-humouredly 
took  part  in  the  review.     This  is  what 
curiosity   does  when   it   is   properly  ap- 
pealed   to.     One    great    difficulty   con- 
nected with  the  use  of  this  characteris- 
tic is:     No   formula   can   be   given  nor 
rules  laid   down.     The  alert,   intelligent 
instructor,  who  is  fully  conscious  of  the 
power  that  lies  in  the  appeal  to  curiosity, 
will  devise  his  own  methods  in  accord- 
ance with  the  age  of  his  pupils  and  the 
circumstances  under  which  he  labours. 


VIII 

LESSON  PREPARATION 

"  ^^>(  IVE  me  two  or  three  good 
1  "W'  stories  with  which  to  begin 
my  lesson,  and  I  will  get 
through  somehow."  This  was  the  senti- 
ment unexpressed  or  uttered  by  many 
so-called  teachers  in  the  olden  time. 
Perhaps  their  species  is  not  yet  extinct. 
Many  teachers  come  to  the  superintend- 
ent and  say,  **  I  can  get  along  all  right 
while  I  am  telling  my  story,  but  just  as 
soon  as  I  come  to  the  practical  applica- 
tion of  the  lesson,  my  pupils  do  not  pay 
any  attention." 

To-day,  among  the  most  intelligent 
teachers,  little  regard  is  paid  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  lesson,  except  as  it  bears 
on   the    conclusion    thereof.     This    is   a 

generally  accepted  axiom  :     The  last  few 

70 


Lesson  Preparation  71 

minutes  of  the  lesson  period  are  the  most 
important!  Hence,  in  all  preparation, 
the  thought  should  be :  How  shall  I 
conclude  this  lesson  ?  In  fact,  the  very 
best  teachers  look  much  farther  than  the 
conclusion  of  the  lesson  period,  and  aim 
for  the  expression  of  the  truth  of  the 
lesson  in  the  life  of  the  pupil,  for  it  is 
realized  that  that  teaching  amounts  to 
very  little,  which  does  not  affect  the  life 
of  the  one  instructed.  Hence,  from  the 
moment  of  beginning  the  preparation 
for  teaching,  how  to  get  the  living  ex- 
pression of  the  truth  to  be  taught,  is  the 
question  that  requires  the  greatest 
thought.     (See   chapter   fourteen.) 

Another  mistake,  formerly  made  by 
teachers,  was  the  endeavour  to  attempt 
to  get  too  much  into  the  lesson  period. 
A  great  mass  of  facts  and  truths  was 
presented  to  the  pupils,  with  the  result 
that  they  took  from  the  class  only  a  hazy, 
nebulous  aggregation   of  ideas,  without 


72  Practical  Pedagogy 

anything  crystallized  in  their  minds.  It 
is  no  wonder  that  such  teaching  resulted 
in  ignorance  of  Bible  truths.  Now,  the 
thought  is  :  One  principal  truth  for  each 
lesson  should  be  impressed  upon  the 
mind  of  the  pupil,  for  the  purpose  of 
having  him  give  expression  to  it  in  his 
daily  life. 

This  leads  to  the  consideration  of  the 
most  important  question  in  lesson  prepara- 
tion, namely  :  How  am  I  to  impress  upon 
my  pupil's  mind  the  truth  which  I  wish 
him  to  express  in  his  daily  living  ?  For 
the  teacher  in  the  secular  school  or  col- 
lege, there  is  a  variety  of  methods  open, 
according  to  which  he  may  make  his  im- 
pression upon  the  minds  of  his  students. 
For  the  Sunday-school  teacher,  however, 
the  material  is  limited ;  it  has  been 
selected  for  him  in  the  form  of  a  certain 
definite  Scripture  text,  which  is  put  into 
his  hand  without  any  choice  of  his  own, 
and  which,  he  is  told,  forms  the  basis  of 


Lesson  Preparation  73 

the  lesson  for  the  day.  A  very  important 
question,  then,  is :  What  shall  I  do  with 
the  lesson  text  assigned  me?  There  is 
an  old  principle,  as  applicable  in  study 
as  it  is  in  warfare,  namely :  *'  Divide 
and  conquer." 

The  teacher  who    makes   the   proper 
kind    of  lesson   preparation    first   of  all 
masters  the  text  he  expects  to  present. 
The  very  best  method  of  mastering  it  is 
so  to  divide  it  that  an  outline  of  it  may 
be  memorized  and  retained  in  the  mind. 
Hence,   any   given   portion  of  Scripture 
which   is   to   be   presented    as   a   lesson 
should   be   divided   into    three    or    four 
sections,  which  the  instructor  can  present 
in  order.     For  most  inexperienced  teach- 
ers, the  making  of  this  division  will  be 
very   difficult.     Therefore,  at   first,  they 
must  take  the  outlines  made  for  them  by 
others  in  the  lesson  quarterly  or  monthly. 
By   degrees,    however,   they   will    make 
their  own  division,  which  is  much  better 


74  Practical  Pedagogy 

than  one  ready  made.  This  outline 
should  be  short  and  simple,  should  be 
memorized,  and  should  be  thought  over 
much  during  the  week.  In  making  it, 
the  teacher  should  bear  in  mind  the  fact 
that  the  lesson  to  be  presented  is  for  the 
pupil,  and  not  for  the  instructor. 

After  the  outline  has  been  made,  the 
teacher  should  read  as  much  as  possible 
on  the  lesson.  This  is  reversing  the  usual 
process.  Ordinarily,  the  teacher  reads 
and  then  attempts  to  get  from  the  mass 
of  reading  something  suitable.  This 
method,  of  course,  is  better  than  none, 
but  it  is  a  great  waste  of  time.  It  is 
readily  seen  that  after  the  teacher  has 
decided  on  the  one  great  truth  to  be  im- 
pressed, and  has  made  an  outline  of  his 
teaching  material,  whatever  he  reads  may 
be  put  into  its  proper  place,  and  be  the 
means  of  reenforcing  an  impression  of 
what  is  to  be  taught.  In  fact,  a  teacher 
cannot  be  too  well  read  on  the  lesson. 


Lesson  Preparation  75 

The  danger  that  we  wish  to  warn  against 
is  that  kind  of  promiscuous  reading  which 
results  in  mental  dyspepsia,  rather  than 
in  clearness  of  thought  and  impressive- 
ness  of  presentation. 

One  value  of  the  varied  reading  by 
the  instructor  will  be  that  he  will  be 
ready  for  those  emergencies  which  are 
liable  to  arise  in  any  class.  When  the 
teacher  has  made  his  outline  and  is  en- 
deavouring to  present  it,  he  need  not 
think  he  is  going  to  have  clear  sailing, 
for  there  will  be  some  who  will  interrupt, 
even  though  the  objection  be  manifested 
merely  by  looks.  For  such  he  should 
be  prepared;  his  reading  helps  in  this 
preparation. 

Now,  as  to  the  story.  It  may  be  told 
at  the  beginning,  as  an  approach,  to  pre- 
pare the  minds  of  the  pupils  for  the  con- 
clusion. It  should  be  in  entire  harmony 
with,  and  have  a  very  direct  bearing 
upon  this  conclusion.     Other  stories  may 


76  Practical  Pedagogy- 

be  narrated  to  illustrate  the  lesson  text, 
and  to  impress  the  truth  which  the 
teacher  is  endeavouring  to  have  the  pupils 
grasp.  Ordinarily,  a  short  story,  forcibly 
presenting  the  truth  with  which  the 
teacher  wishes  to  close,  will  be  very 
effective.  It  is  told,  however,  for  the 
sake  of  the  truth,  and  not  for  the  sake 
of  the  illustration.  In  other  words,  the 
old  architectural  principle :  "  Ornament 
constructions ;  do  not  construct  orna- 
ments," is  applicable  here,  as  elsewhere. 


IX 

ILLUSTRATING  THE  LESSON^ 

WHEN   thinking   of  illustrations 
the   guiding    principle   to   be 
borne    in    mind  is  this:  Illus- 
trations are  for  the  purpose  of  making 
clear  and   impressive   the   lesson    truth. 
An  illustration  should  never  be  told  for 
its   own   sake  ;    nor   should   a   truth   be 
tacked  on  to  an  illustration.     The  teacher 
should  determine  what  truth  he  wishes 
to   impress,    and   select   his   illustrations 
accordingly.     The  very  best  illustrations 
for  the  Sunday-school  teacher  are  found 
in  the  Bible  itself;   hence,   a   familiarity 
with  the  Book  is  essential  for  good  teach- 
ing.    Next  to  this,  the  teacher  living  in 
the  country  will  get  his  illustrations  from 
nature,  where  the  Master  Himself  found 
so  many  of  those  which  He  employed  so 
77 


78  Practical  Pedagogy 

impressively.  Perhaps  the  illustrations 
that  tell  most  are  those  related  to  the 
every-day  life  of  the  individuals  for  whom 
they  are  intended.  If  a  teacher  can 
begin  a  lesson  by  saying,  "  Last  Tues- 
day, at  such  and  such  a  place,  I  saw 
such  and  such  a  thing,"  the  very  fact 
that  the  time  is  near  and  the  place  famil- 
iar will  attract  attention  and  help  create 
that  interest  which  is  so  essential  to  true 
teaching.  Newspapers  and  magazines 
furnish  many  illustrations.  From  ordi- 
nary conversation,  the  teacher  who  is  on 
the  lookout  will  derive  much  that  will  be 
of  great  value  in  illustration. 

Perhaps  the  greatest  difficulty  the  ordi- 
nary person  finds  in  regard  to  illustra- 
tions is  to  have  them  at  hand  when 
needed.  A  story  is  indefinitely  floating 
in  the  mind.  "  Where  did  I  see  it  ? " 
"How  can  1  get  it?"  are  questions 
asked.  Much  time  is  wasted  in  won- 
dering  what  has  become  of  that  which 


Illustrating  the  Lesson  79 

would  be  so  **  pat  "  for  the  present  lesson. 
To  avoid  this  condition  of  affairs,  the 
very  best  apparatus  for  the  teacher  is  a 
box  in  which  are  a  number  of  blank 
cards.  On  these  cards  should  be  pasted 
short  illustrations,  arranged  in  alpha- 
betical order,  which  can  be  found  with- 
out any  difficulty.  In  case  the  illustration 
is  in  a  book,  or  magazine  that  cannot  be 
cut,  a  reference  may  be  made  to  it  on 
the  card  and  put  in  its  proper  alpha- 
betical position,  available  for  the  time 
of  need. 

All  illustrations,  however,  are  not  those 
which  appeal  to  the  ear  only.  A  large 
mass  of  material,  such  as  pictures,  ob- 
jects and  symbols,  may  be  used  for  illus- 
trative purposes.  These  should  be  kept 
in  a  receptacle  especially  set  apart  for 
the  purpose. 

A  few  suggestions  may  be  offered  in 
regard  to  the  use  of  illustrations  : 

I.     They   should   be   on   the  plane  of 


8o  Practical  Pedagogy 

the  learner's  experience.  An  illustration 
should  not  be  so  simple  as  to  excite  the 
contempt  of  the  learner.  It  should  not 
be  so  far  above  him  that  he  fails  to  grasp 
the  point  illustrated. 

2.  The  illustration  should  be  such 
that  the  teacher  need  have  no  fear  that 
it  obscures  the  truth  to  be  impressed.  It 
frequently  happens  that  the  illustration  is 
remembered,  and  the  truth  is  forgotten. 
This  should  not  be  so. 

3.  Too  many  illustrations  should  not 
be  used  in  connection  with  the  impression 
of  any  truth.  This  is  a  mistake  made  by 
some,  whose  skill  in  gathering  illustra- 
tions is  not  equalled  by  their  power  in 
impressing  truth.  Better  one  or  two 
striking  illustrations  that  will  remain  in 
the  mind  of  the  learner  and  recall  the 
truth  to  be  expressed  in  his  life,  than  a 
number  which  are  simply  remembered 
as  illustrations. 

4.  The  same  illustrations  should  not 


Illustrating  the  Lesson  81 

be  used  too  frequently,  nor  to  impress 
too  many  truths.  Where  this  is  done 
there  is  a  confusion  in  the  mind  of  the 
learner,  instead  of  that  clearness  for  which 
we  are  all  aiming. 

A  safe  practice  would  be  to  begin  the 
lesson  with  an  illustration  drawn  from 
the  every-day  experience  of  the  pupil,  to 
attract  his  attention  on  the  one  hand, 
and  to  impress  the  truth  which  the 
teacher  wishes  to  leave  in  his  mind  on 
the  other  hand.  This  illustration,  given 
in  simple  language  and  concise  form, 
may  be  referred  to  throughout  the  teach- 
ing period,  for  the  purpose  of  showing 
its  bearing  on  the  truth  taught,  or  the 
relation  of  the  truth  to  the  illustration. 

The  conclusion  of  the  lesson  might  be 
in  the  form  of  another  illustration,  tend- 
ing to  impress  what  was  suggested  by 
the  opening  illustration.  In  other  words, 
when  the  pupil  recalls  the  illustrations 
given   at   the   important    points    of    the 


82  Practical  Pedagogy 

lesson  study — the  beginning  and  the 
ending — the  truth  learned  should  be  re- 
called by  those  illustrations. 

The  use  of  illustrations  aside  from 
these  two  should  be  sparingly  in- 
dulged in,  for  the  reason  that  a  lesson 
that  is  too  profusely  illustrated  fails  of 
its  mark. 


THE  ART  OF  QUESTIONING 

THERE  are  at  least  two  essential 
prerequisites  for  questioning  so 
as  to  get  answers.  The  most 
important,  but,  perhaps,  one  that  is  gen- 
erally overlooked,  is  knowledge  of  the 
pupils.  It  is  impossible  so  to  frame 
questions  as  to  expect  intelligent  answers 
unless  the  questioner  has  a  knowledge  of 
those  questioned.  Hence,  what  has  been 
said  and  written  concerning  the  necessity 
of  studying  the  individual  members  of 
the  class  has  a  very  important  bearing 
on  the  subject  before  us.  The  other 
essential  is  a  knowledge  of  the  lesson  to 
be  taught.  The  teacher  may  have  made 
a  simple  outline,  and  have  determined  to 
teach  very  few  things,  but  his  question- 
ing power  will  be  increased  in  the  ratio 
that  he  has  a  masterful  knowledge  of  the 
83 


84  Practical  Pedagogy 

lesson.  To  this,  of  course,  should  be 
added  a  general  knowledge  of  the  Bible, 
for  each  lesson  taught  is  but  a  part  of 
the  great  system  which  we  are  endeav- 
ouring to  make  clear  to  our  pupils. 

In  considering  the  basis  of  proper 
questioning,  the  one  who  proposes  asking 
questions  should  first  of  all  ask  himself, 
What  is  my  object  in  asking  questions? 
He  who  questions  in  order  to  show  his 
own  smartness,  or  to  disclose  his  pupils' 
ignorance,  is  not  worthy  of  considera- 
tion. The  true  teacher,  working  along 
pedagogical  lines,  endeavours  to  frame 
his  questions  so  as  to  reveal  his  pupils' 
knowledge.  When  a  person  has  been 
asked  a  question,  the  answer  to  which  he 
can  readily  give,  he  is  thereby  inspired 
to  try  to  answer  other  questions.  The 
moment  he  begins  to  suspect  that  the 
questioner  is  endeavouring  to  disclose 
how  little  is  known  of  the  subject,  the 
one  questioned  will  shut  up,  and  refuse 


The  Art  of  Questioning  85 

to  answer  even  those  questions  which  are 
easy,  for  he  fears  that  other  and  more 
embarrassing  questions  will  soon  be 
asked. 

Another  object  in  asking  questions  is 
to  stimulate  thought.  Questions  may  be 
put  suggestively,  which  do  not  tend  to 
expose  the  ignorance  of  the  one  ques- 
tioned, but  which  do  help  him  to  think. 
For  this  reason,  as  a  rule,  questions  that 
can  be  answered  by  *'  Yes "  or  "  No '' 
are  not  considered  correct  from  the 
pedagogical  standpoint.  It  is  very  easy 
to  ask  such  questions,  but  in  the  en- 
deavour to  help  the  pupils,  the  easiest  is 
often  the  worst  thing  that  could  be  done. 

Occasionally,  questions  may  be  asked 
to  arouse  the  conscience  of  the  learner. 
The  great  Teacher,  Jesus,  was  an  adept 
in  asking  such  questions.  He  put  them 
in  such  a  way  that  an  answer  to  them 
would  bring  the  conscience  into  play. 
For  example,    "What  doth   it   profit  a 


86  Practical  Pedagogy 

man  to  gain  the  whole  world,  and  forfeit 
his  life?" 

Again,  questions  may  be  asked  to  im- 
press the  truth  taught.  Frequently,  that 
which  has  been  taught  a  pupil  may  be 
impressed  on  his  mind  by  the  teacher 
questioning  upon  it.  The  very  act  of 
recalling  it  and  answering  the  question 
helps  the  impression.  Dr.  Gregory,  in 
his  "  Seven  Laws  of  Teaching,"  says : 
**  The  completion,  test  and  confirmation 
of  teaching  must  be  made  by  reviews." 
These  reviews  are  of  all  the  more  value 
if  they  are  in  the  form  of  questions. 

A  little  practice  will  enable  the  average 
teacher  to  ask  questions  that  will  reveal 
the  pupil's  knowledge,  stimulate  his 
thought,  arouse  his  conscience  and  im- 
press the  truth. 

In  the  first  place,  questions  should  be 
clear  and  simple ;  that  is,  easily  under- 
stood, and  susceptible  of  but  one  answer. 
To  ask  a  school  this  question :  "  Where 


The  Art  of  Questioning  87 

is  to-day's  lesson  found?"  is  to  invite 
from  the  members  a  number  of  correct 
answers.  To  ask,  *'  In  what  book  of  the 
Bible  is  our  lesson  found  ? "  is  to  call 
forth  one  answer  that  is  correct. 

In  order  to  accomplish  the  object  sug- 
gested above,  a  question  should  be  short. 
Better  ask  five  or  six  short  questions  to 
draw  out  the  answer  desired,  than  to  ask 
one  long  one  that  is  not  easily  carried  in 
the  mind.  A  great  preacher  once  under- 
took to  conduct  the  platform  review  in 
his  Sunday-school.  Sunday  by  Sunday 
his  irritation  increased,  as  he  found  that 
he  could  not  get  his  teachers  or  pupils  to 
answer  questions.  A  consultation  among 
the  teachers  themselves,  unknown  to  the 
good  man,  resulted  in  their  declaring 
that  the  reason  why  the  school  did  not 
respond  was  because  his  questions  were 
too  long.  He  was  told  of  this  fact,  but 
indignantly  denied  its  truth.  Shortly 
after  this,  one  of  the  officers  of  the  school, 


88  Practical  Pedagogy 

who  had  deliberately  set  himself  to  prove 
that  the  pastor's  questions  were  too  long, 
counted  a  question  asked  the  school,  and 
it  numbered  exactly  two  hundred  and 
twenty-two  words.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
the  great  preacher  failed  as  a  teacher  ? 

Furthermore,  the  questioner  should  en- 
deavour to  ask  questions  in  language 
familiar  to  those  questioned.  A  question 
put  in  scientific  language  to  a  number 
of  experts  in  a  certain  department  of 
science  would  be  entirely  out  of  place  in 
a  Sunday-school  composed  of  young 
people.  So  a  question  concerning  some 
Christian  doctrine  or  experience,  familiar 
to  mature  Christians,  might  be  foolish- 
ness to  young  pupils  who  would  not  un- 
derstand the  phraseology. 

By  observing  these  simple  principles, 
and  questioning  himself  after  each  lesson 
period,  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  he 
has  put  them  into  practice  or  not,  by 
degrees   the   teacher   will   come   to   ask 


The  Art  of  Questioning  89 

questions  that  will  be  answered  readily. 
As  he  goes  on,  his  teaching  will  become 
more  and  more  a  delight. 

The  following  suggestions  are  made 
for  those  wishing  to  perfect  themselves : 

1.  Listen,  whenever  possible,  to  a 
master  of  the  art  of  questioning. 

2.  Study  the  questions  in  the  lesson 
help. 

3.  Occasionally  write  out  questions 
to  be  asked. 

4.  Note  the  effect  of  questions  asked 
by  yourself  on  others. 

5.  Do  not  expect  others  to  know 
what  is  in  your  mind. 

6.  Welcome  all  attempts  at  answering. 

7.  Accept  wrong  and  imperfect  an- 
swers and  use  them  to  lead  up  to  correct 
ones. 

8.  Never  blame  any  one  but  yourself 
for  wrong  answers  to  an  ambiguous  ques- 
tion, or  to  one  that  may  be  answered  in 
many  ways. 


XI 

ATTENTION 

IN  looking  forward  to  meeting  his  class 
on  Sunday,  the  interested  teacher, 
who  is  interesting  to  his  pupils,  pray- 
erfully prepares  for  accomplishing  three 
things  during  the  study  hour,  so  far  as 
those  pupils  are  concerned.  His  first  en- 
deavour is  to  gain  their  attention.  He 
next  puts  forth  every  effort  to  retain  that 
attention  throughout  the  study  period. 
But  his  most  difficult  work  is  to  turn  that 
attention  into  interest.  Of  course,  it  is 
understood  that  this  threefold  endeavour 
is  not  for  its  own  sake  alone,  but  in  order 
to  make  such  an  impression  on  the  pupils 
that  they  will  express  in  their  daily  living 
the  truth  taught.  How  is  all  this  to  be 
accomplished  ?  is  the  question  which  we 

now  seek  to  answer. 
90 


Attention  91 

Without  going  into  subtle  distinctions, 
for  our  practical  purposes,  attention  may 
be  divided  into  two  kinds,  namely,  com- 
pelled and  attracted.  Which  of  these  is 
the  better  ?  It  would  be  easy  to  answer 
the  question,  but  let  us  see. 

The  superintendent  of  a  Sunday-school 
once  asked  the  writer  to  visit  his  school 
in  order  to  criticize  his  methods.  He 
overcame  the  objections  offered  by  de- 
claring that  he  would  take  kindly  what- 
ever criticism  might  be  given,  and  en- 
deavour to  profit  by  it.  So  the  would-be 
critic  seated  himself  in  the  schoolroom  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  before  time  for  open- 
ing, with  his  note-book  and  pencil  ready 
to  jot  down  such  things  as  he  desired  to 
call  to  the  attention  of  the  superintendent. 
On  a  table  near  him  was  a  pile  of  Sun- 
day-school papers,  left  there  by  the  officers 
of  a  convention  which  had  been  held  in 
the  room  the  day  before.  A  boy  stepped 
up  to  the  table,  took  a  paper,  went  back 


92  Practical  Pedagogy 

to  his  class,  and  in  a  few  minutes  about  a 
third  of  the  pupils  present  had  supplied 
themselves  with  papers.  The  result  was 
that  when  the  superintendent  came  upon 
the  platform  to  open  the  service,  about 
half  the  school  was  engaged  in  reading 
papers.  Looking  round  the  room,  the 
superintendent  clapped  very  loudly,  and 
for  quite  a  time.  Those  who  were  in  order 
continued  so,  those  who  were  reading 
■papers  looked  at  the  superintendent  as 
long  as  the  clapping  continued,  and  then 
quietly  went  on  with  their  reading.  The 
good  man  had  compelled  their  attention, 
which  lasted  just  as  long  as  the  compul- 
sion. When  this  compulsion  was  re- 
moved, and  the  readers  had  quiet  to  do 
as  they  pleased,  they  went  on  with  that 
in  which  they  were  interested. 

In  that  same  city,  a  worker  stood  be- 
fore a  disorderly  school.  He  said  noth- 
ing, but  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  took 
therefrom  a  number  of  coins,  and  in  plain 


Attention  93 

view  of  the  school,  began  to  jingle  them. 
This  went  on  for  about  a  minute,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  had  the  attention  of 
every  one  in  the  school,  for  all  were  ask- 
ing themselves,  **I  wonder  why  he  is 
doing  that  ?  "  Selecting  one  of  the  coins, 
the  man  who  had  attracted  attention 
quiedy  asked,  "  What  is  this  ?  "  The  an- 
swer was  given.  Then  he  asked,  "What 
is  it  worth?"  and  received  the  answer. 
This  went  on  for  about  three  minutes,  by 
which  time  he  had  not  only  attracted,  but 
secured  the  attention  of  those  whom  he 
wished  to  instruct,  and  was  able  to  hold 
it  for  twenty  minutes. 

Which  is  the  better?  Is  not  the  ques- 
tion already  answered  ?  The  endeavour, 
then,  should  be  to  attract  rather  than  com- 
pel attention,  for  attracted  attention  is 
more  easily  retained. 

A  few  principles  may  be  given  from 
which  rules  may  be  deduced  : 

I.    The    unusual   attracts.     Therefore 


94  Practical  Pedagogy 

the  teacher  should  aim  to  be  prepared 
at  the  beginning  of  each  lesson  to  do  or 
say  something  out  of  the  ordinary,  or  to 
present  something  that  is  unusual. 

2.  The  mind  is  appealed  to  much 
more  quickly  through  the  eye  than  through 
the  ear.  Therefore  the  man  who  jingled 
the  coins  in  his  hand  had  the  advantage 
of  the  man  who  simply  made  noise  with 
his  hands,  for  the  pupils,  first  attracted  by 
the  sound  of  the  jingling,  had  their  curi- 
osity aroused,  and  wondered  what  was  in 
the  man's  hand. 

3.  Attention  is  given  to  things  that 
are  worth  while.  Therefore  the  teacher 
should  make  it  worth  his  pupils'  while  to 
pay  attention. 

Attention  having  been  secured,  the  sec- 
ond endeavour  is  to  retain  that  attention 
throughout  the  lesson  period.  This  is 
done  by  variety  in  presenting  the  truth. 
If  the  same  thing  is  done  in  the  same  way 
during  many  lessons  it  is  no  wonder  that 


Attention  95 

the  attention  of  those  instructed  flags,  and 
the  instructor  has  a  very  difficult  time. 
A  very  successful  teacher  of  boys  and 
girls  from  ten  to  twelve  years  of  age  at- 
tributes much  of  her  success  to  the  fact 
that  throughout  the  week  she  carefully 
prepares  little  surprises  for  the  pupils, 
which  she  interjects  into  her  lesson  in 
such  a  way  that  they  come  at  unexpected 
times.  Another  thought  to  be  borne  in 
mind  in  the  effort  to  retain  attention 
is  that  the  best  should  not  always  be  given 
first.  Many  teachers  handicap  themselves 
by  beginning  with  a  good  introduction, 
or  approach,  and  gradually  giving  that 
which  is  less  interesting  and  attractive 
until  there  is  little  left  towards  the  close 
of  the  lesson.  The  very  best  should  be 
kept  for  the  last.  For  that  is  not  only  the 
most  important  period  of  the  lesson  study, 
but  the  one  during  which  it  is  hardest  to 
retain  the  attention. 

Finally,  the   endeavour   should   be   to 


96  Practical  Pedagogy 

turn  attention  into  interest  in  the  truths 
presented.  It  is  of  little  value  to  have 
our  pupils  pay  close  attention  throughout 
the  study  period,  unless  they  are  inter- 
ested in  what  is  being  taught.  This  in- 
terest, as  has  been  suggested,  is  for  the 
purpose  of  having  them  live  out  the 
truths  brought  to  their  attention.  How 
it  is  secured  is  discussed  in  the  next 
chapter. 


XII 

INTEREST 

YEARS  ago  a  lady,  walking  on 
the  beach  of  one  of  our  popular 
summer  resorts,  had  her  atten- 
tion attracted  by  a  group  of  persons 
some  distance  away.  The  group  soon 
increased  to  a  crowd.  On  inquiry,  she 
learned  that  the  body  of  a  young  man 
had  just  been  rescued  from  the  waves. 
Pressing  forward  to  see  if  she  might 
recognize  him,  she  was  startled  to  find 
that  it  was  her  own  son.  At  once  her 
attention  was  changed  into  interest,  for 
she  had  been  touched  at  a  vital  spot. 

This  incident  will  help  answer  the 
question  :  How  may  attention  be  turned 
into  interest?  Granted  that  the  teacher 
has  secured  the  attention  of  his  pupils, 
and  has  retained  it  long  enough  to  get 
97 


98  Practical  Pedagogy 

to  the  truth  which  he  wishes  to  impress, 
interest  in  that  truth  will  depend  largely 
upon  the  wa)'^  in  which  it  touches  those 
things  which  the  pupils  count  dear. 
This  is  the  general  principle,  the  working 
out  of  which  will  depend  on  several  im- 
portant truths. 

In  the  first  place,  the  teacher  must  be 
acquainted  with  the  every-day  life  of  the 
pupils.  This  is  such  a  trite  saying  that 
many  instructors  revolt  against  it,  and 
clamour  for  something  new.  Notwith- 
standing its  commonplaceness,  it  lies  at 
the  basis  of  all  true  teaching  which  has 
for  its  object  the  impartation  of  moral  or 
spiritual  truths.  The  teacher  who  does 
not  know  the  every-day  life  of  his  pupil 
has  no  point  of  contact  through  which  to 
interest  him.     (See  chapter  fourteen.) 

In  the  second  place,  while  the  teacher 
knows  that  the  truth  has  a  vital  bearing 
upon  the  life  of  the  pupil,  the  latter  may 
not  recognize  that  fact ;  hence  the  teacher 


Interest  99 

must  be  prepared  to  show  the  learner 
how  the  truth  affects  his  life.  This  means 
that  the  instructor  must  be  convinced  of 
the  value  of  the  truth  which  he  is  trying 
to  impart.  He  who  speaks  out  of  the 
fullness  of  experience  speaks  with  a 
conviction  which  cannot  be  gainsaid. 
Even  restless  boys  and  girls  are  im- 
pressed by  this  conviction. 

Again,  the  truth  must  be  presented  in 
language  which  the  pupil  understands, 
and  on  the  plane  of  his  experience. 
Otherwise  the  instructor  will  be  to  him 
as  one  who  talks  in  an  unknown  tongue. 

If  to  this  is  added  a  skillful  use  of 
those  things  which  tend  to  attract,  such 
as  objects,  and  pictures,  the  attention  is 
not  only  held,  but  interest  is  stimulated. 

Now  comes  the  chief  question  :  How 
is  the  teacher  to  prepare  for  all  this  ?  As 
has  been  hinted  before,  the  best  prepara- 
tion is  to  know  the  needs  of  the  learner ; 
then    comes  that   everlasting  vigilance, 


loo  Practical  Pedagogy 

which  is  necessary  to  success  in  teaching. 
The  teacher  must  have  his  eyes  open  to 
see,  his  ears  unlocked  to  hear,  and  his 
heart  sensitive  to  impressions,  so  that  he 
will  be  constantly  learning  both  what 
pupils  of  his  class  age  need  and  how  to 
interest  them  according  to  their  needs. 

Aside  from  this,  there  is  for  the  Sunday- 
school  teacher  a  help  which  the  ordinary 
instructor  does  not  make  use  of,  namely : 
that  which  comes  through  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  answer  to  prayer.  It  is  but 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  be  more  willing  to  bless  and 
help  the  one  who  does  his  best  than  the 
one  who  is  ignorant  and  unskillful  be- 
cause of  laziness.  Hence,  that  form  of 
assistance  which  comes  in  answer  to 
prayer  should  never  be  overlooked, 
whether  we  are  considering  the  question 
of  getting  our  pupils  interested  in  the 
lesson,  or  any  other  pedagogical  theme. 

An  element  very  essential  in  creating 


Interest  lol 

and  maintaining  the  interest  of  the  pupil 
in  the  truth  to  be  taught  is  in  the  teacher 
himself.  That  which  counts  for  most 
everywhere  is  personality.  It  is  not  the 
amount  of  information  conveyed  on  any 
given  subject  that  tells  most ;  it  is  the 
influence  exerted  through  the  personality 
of  the  instructor  which,  in  the  long  run, 
produces  the  greatest  fruitage.  There- 
fore, the  teacher  of  Bible  truths  should 
try  to  incarnate  those  truths  in  his  own 
person.  Children  and  youth  are  very 
quick  to  realize  whether  the  teacher  is 
absolutely  sincere  or  the  reverse  ;  whether 
he  is  talking  perfunctorily,  or  trying  to 
impress  that  which  he  believes  to  the 
inmost  core  of  his  being. 

Another  very  effective  aid  in  maintain- 
ing the  interest  of  the  pupil  comes  from 
the  condition  of  the  teacher  at  the  time 
of  presentation.  Every  teacher  should 
strive  for  self-mastery.  Restless  boys 
and  girls  are  often  prayed  for,  that  the 


102  Practical  Pedagogy 

Lord  would  make  them  behave  them- 
selves ;  the  rebellious  adolescent  is  fre- 
quently the  subject  of  prayer.  A  fair 
question  to  be  asked  by  every  teacher  is 
this :  How  much  do  I  pray  that  I  may  be 
master  of  myself  ?  The  masterful  teacher 
is  the  successful  one,  provided  that  self- 
mastery  does  not  degenerate  into  ego- 
tism. Hence,  everything  that  tends  to 
make  the  teacher  lose  control  of  himself 
should  be  tabooed.  Nothing  that  would 
be  helpful  in  giving  the  instructor  mas- 
tery of  himself  should  be  looked  upon  as 
trifling  or  insignificant.  The  calm,  quiet, 
forceful  mastery  of  Jesus  Christ  had 
much  to  do  in  interesting  the  people  of 
His  time  in  the  truths  He  taught.  Even 
in  our  day,  when  the  appeal  is  made  to 
the  intellect,  men  everywhere  recognize 
Him  as  the  masterful  Teacher. 

Finally,  no  opportunity  should  be  neg- 
lected for  increasing  the  knowledge  of 
the  teacher,  for  every  item  he  gains  adds 


Interest  103 

just  so  much  to  his  power  to  interest  his 
pupils.  To  his  knowledge  of  the  lesson 
should  be  added  knowledge  of  Biblical 
truths  in  general,  and  of  the  Bible  in  its 
broad  scope.  While  he  is  to  teach  but 
one  main  truth  in  each  lesson,  and  pre- 
pares a  very  simple  outline  for  teaching, 
the  more  he  knows  of  that  lesson  as  to 
its  surroundings,  facts,  truths  and  deduc- 
tions therefrom,  the  better  is  he  able  to 
interest  his  pupils.  Is  not  this  a  high 
calling  for  the  teacher  ?  There  is  noth- 
ing that  he  possesses,  physical,  intel- 
lectual, moral  or  spiritual,  that  he  cannot 
put  into  exercise  in  the  endeavour  to 
interest  his  pupils.  Surely  here  is  a  field 
of  culture  not  elsewhere  surpassed. 


XIII 

THE  TEACHER  TEACHING 

THE  instructor  who  has  put  into 
practice  the  principles  we  have 
been  considering  will  come  to 
realize  that  the  success  of  their  applica- 
tion depends  in  a  large  degree  on  many 
seemingly  unimportant  details  which  are 
in  reality  of  great  importance.  Here  are  a 
few  suggestions  put  in  very  concrete  form  : 

Before  beginning  to  teach  remove,  as 
far  as  possible,  all  causes  of  distraction. 

If  possible  attract  attention  rather  than 
compel  it. 

Never  begin  a  lesson  without  the  at- 
tention of  the  class.  (Make  a  practice  of 
studying  the  faces  of  your  pupils.) 

When  the  attention  flags,  stop  teach- 
ing until  it  is  regained. 

Rest  the  mind  by  variety. 

By  continual  questioning,  try  to  ascer- 
104 


The  Teacher  Teaching  105 

tain  whether  there  is  real  interest  con- 
nected with  the  attention. 

Do  not  continue  teaching  after  interest 
in  the  subject  taught  has  been  lost. 

"  Little  and  often,"  is  a  very  safe  rule. 

There  are  times  even  in  the  best  class 
and  with  the  most  interesting  subject, 
when,  for  no  apparent  reason,  it  seems 
impossible  to  secure  attention.  A  care- 
ful study  of  such  times,  as  a  rule,  proves 
that  the  cause  for  inattention  is  in  the 
surroundings,  in  the  pupil  or  in  the  in- 
structor. Put  Chrysostom  in  the  pulpit, 
and  let  a  cat  make  her  toilet  on  one  of 
the  pulpit  chairs,  and  the  attention  to  the 
silver  tongue  of  the  orator  will  be  as 
nothing  compared  with  his  auditors'  in- 
terest in  the  actions  of  the  cat.  Hence, 
the  importance  of  the  first  suggestion. 
Not  only  remove  those  things  which  will 
interfere  with  the  attention  of  the  pupils, 
but  train  yourself  to  be  sensitively  alive 
to  anything  that  may  be  attracting  the 


lo6  Practical  Pedagogy 

attention  of  those  whom  you  are  trying 
to  teach. 

It  is  said  that  Mr.  Moody  always  at- 
tended to  the  ventilation  of  the  room  in 
which  he  spoke,  because  he  had  learned 
that,  notwithstanding  his  great  power  in 
presenting  truth,  he  could  not  compete 
with  bad  air.  Here  is  a  hint  for  the 
teacher  who  complains  of  the  apathy  of 
her  class  and  of  the  headache  which 
comes  on  with  such  regularity  on  Sun- 
day afternoons. 

If  the  surroundings  are  as  good  as 
possible,  the  reason  for  lack  of  interest 
may  be  in  the  pupil.  "  Paul !  Paul  1 
what  is  the  matter  with  you?"  said  a 
minister  to  his  little  boy.  "  Papa,  I  think 
I  have  Jesus  in  my  heart,  but  the  devil  is 
in  my  stomach."  One  could  scarcely 
expect  such  a  boy  to  be  very  attentive 
to  an  ordinary  Sunday-school  lesson. 
Scolding  will  only  cause  increased  irrita- 
tion in  such  a  case.     The  tactful  teacher 


The  Teacher  Teaching  107 

will  study  his  pupils  in  order  to  be  able 
to  remove,  if  possible,  whatever  causes 
inattention.  Sometimes,  for  the  sake  of 
the  other  members  of  the  class,  a  pupil 
may  be  requested  to  retire  from  the  room 
until  he  and  the  cause  of  his  inattention 
have  settled  matters. 

As  a  rule,  when  there  is  continued  in- 
attention, the  teacher  should  blame  him- 
self rather  than  the  class.  There  are 
three  lines  of  preparation  necessary  to 
the  best  teaching,  viz.,  physical,  intellec- 
tual and  spiritual.  Pupils  are  frequently 
blamed  for  inattention  when  the  teacher's 
health  is  at  fault.  The  intellectual  prep- 
aration which  comes  from  appreciating 
and  living  up  to  correct  pedagogical 
principles  is  a  great  help  in  securing 
and  retaining  attention.  Finally,  com- 
munion with  God,  resulting  in  His  power 
being  manifest  in  the  teacher,  is  the 
greatest  help  to  efTective  teaching  of 
spiritual  truths. 


lo8  Practical  Pedagogy 

John  B.  Gough  was  described  by  a 
German  as  "  the  man  what  talks  mit  his 
coat-tail."  On  one  occasion,  when  he 
perceived  that  his  audience  was  expect- 
ing too  much  of  him,  this  great  orator 
gained  their  attention  by  beginning  his 
speech  in  a  stammering,  hesitating  man- 
ner, then,  when  his  hearers'  attention  was 
attracted  from  that  which  they  expected 
to  that  which  he  was  really  saying, 
Gough  used  his  marvellous  powers  to 
turn  the  attention  gained  into  interest  in 
what  he  was  saying.  This  gives  us  the 
key  to  the  law  that  underlies  the  securing 
of  attention.  Anything  that  is  unusual  or 
out  of  the  ordinary  will  attract  attention. 
The  following  are  some  of  the  simplest 
means  by  which  attention  may  be  gained  : 

By  questions.  (Nothing  proves  the  skill 
of  the  teacher  so  much  as  his  power  to 
ask  appropriate  questions.) 

By  the  use  of  the  blackboard. 

By  pictures. 


The  Teacher  Teaching  109 

By  the  use  of  symbols  or  objects  illus- 
trating the  truths  to  be  taught. 

By  gestures  or  unusual  motions. 

By  a  sound.  (A  cough  for  example. 
The  ringing  of  a  bell  belongs  to  the  dark 
ages.) 

By  absolute  silence. 

Each  organ  of  sense  is  a  gateway  to 
the  mind,  and  whatever  appeals  to  that 
organ  in  an  unexpected  way  makes  the 
mind  attentive.  However  striking  a 
method  may  have  been  when  first  in- 
troduced, it  loses  its  power  by  too  fre- 
quent repetitions. 

Attention  having  been  gained,  how 
shall  it  be  retained  ?  There  is  one  com- 
prehensive answer  to  this  question.  By 
variety  in  presentation  of  the  truth.  Sun- 
day-school teachers  labour  under  the 
limitation  that  they  are  telling  **  The  Old, 
Old  Story."  As  a  compensation  for  this, 
however,  they  may  study  the  method  of 
the  world's   greatest  Teacher,  who  also 


no  Practical  Pedagogy 

taught  this  story.  A  study  of  the  dis- 
courses of  Jesus  will  convince  one  that 
this  story  may  be  told  in  a  great  variety 
of  ways.  Here  we  may  learn  the  meth- 
ods of  the  Great  Teacher,  who  spake  as 
never  man  spake.  In  our  study  of  meth- 
ods do  not  let  us  neglect  the  Gospels. 

A  task  still  more  difficult  than  the  two 
just  considered  remains  for  the  teacher : 
How  shall  attention  be  turned  into  inter- 
est ?  The  answer  is :  By  adapting  the 
teaching  to  the  age  and  the  needs  of  the 
learner.  The  writer  is  well  aware  what  a 
difficult  task  this  is.  In  many  respects 
the  leader  of  the  large  class  has  the  ad- 
vantage, but  here  the  advantage  is  all 
with  the  teacher  of  the  small  class.  In 
the  ratio  that  the  teacher  knows  the 
truths  to  be  taught  and  the  lives  of  those 
whom  he  is  to  influence,  will  he  be  able 
to  interest  his  pupil. 

The  very  highest  test  of  the  teacher's 
success  is  to  be  sought  for  in  the  char- 


The  Teacher  Teaching  1 1 1 

acters  and  lives  of  those  whom  he  in- 
structs. There  is  a  current  saying  to  the 
effect:  We  must  sow  and  leave  the  re- 
sults with  God.  This  is  a  delusive  half- 
truth.  The  servant  of  Christ  ought  to 
sow,  even  when  he  sees  no  fruitage,  but 
he  ought  also  so  to  sow  that  he  can 
reasonably  expect  fruitage.  Truth  is 
truth,  but  it  should  not  always  be  scat- 
tered broadcast.  There  are  times — and 
the  more  one  knows  one's  pupils,  the 
more  frequent  will  those  times  come — 
when  the  worker  should  put  the  truth 
concretely  so  that  the  individuals  before 
him  will  understand  that  it  is  meant  for 
them.  He  should  so  'present  the  truth 
that  it  must  be  absolutely  resisted  or  else 
tell  on  the  lives  of  the  members  of  the 
class.  He  should  endeavour  by  word 
and  example  to  have  the  truth  lived. 
The  real  test  of  the  pupil's  attention  and 
interest  should  be  the  effect  of  the  truth 
taught  on  his  life.     It  has  come  to  be 


1 1 2  Practical  Pedagogy 

regarded  as  true  that  that  which  is  worth 
having  cannot,  as  a  rule,  be  obtained 
without  the  expenditure  of 


T 


HOUGHT 
OIL 
IME 
ALENT. 


Let  this  be  applied  in  the  effort  to  gain 
and  retain  the  attention  of  those  instructed 
in  the  most  precious  of  all  truths.  Be 
not  discouraged,  teacher,  but  think  and 
think  and  think  until  you  discover  why 
it  is  that  you  lose  the  attention  of  your 
pupils.  Then  toil  in  your  effort  to  over- 
come the  difficulty.  Consecrate  what- 
ever talent  you  may  have  to  your  en- 
deavour, and  do  not  be  in  too  great 
haste,  if  you  do  not  succeed  at  once. 
Recollect  how  patient  the  Lord  has  been 
with  you,  and  be  willing  to  labour  on 
for  a  long  time  before  you  conclude  that 
you  cannot  get  and  hold  the  attention  of 
your  class. 


XIV 

THE  LESSON  EXPRESSED  IN  LIFE 

"T  I  "AHE  practice  of  righteousness" 
I  is  an  expression  which  is  gain- 
ing currency.  It  means  simply 
that  as  distinguished  from  intellectual 
belief,  or  emotional  perception  of  the 
truth,  there  should  be  an  every-day 
righteous  living.  Righteousness  is  right 
doing ;  he  who  practices  righteousness 
does  what  is  right.  It  should  be  the 
teacher's  aim  to  get  his  pupils  to  practice 
righteousness  in  their  daily  life.  Hence, 
he  who  rises  to  a  proper  appreciation  of 
his  privilege  as  an  instructor  of  the  young 
in  Biblical  truths  will  not  be  satisfied 
unless  those  truths  are  so  impressed  upon 
the  minds  of  his  pupils  that  they  will  ex- 
press them  in  action. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  value 
"3 


114  Practical  Pedagogy  % 

of  the  last  five  minutes  of  the  lesson 
period.  Here  is  where  the  teacher  is  to 
bring  to  bear  the  culminating  force  of  all 
that  has  been  put  before  the  pupils  during 
the  period  of  lesson  study.  Here  the  in- 
structor, who  is  looking  for  the  right 
kind  of  fruitage,  so  puts  the  emphasis 
that  those  whom  he  instructs  go  away 
with  the  determination  to  live  what  they 
have  been  taught.  It  is,  of  course,  taken 
for  granted  that  the  teacher  will  not  al- 
ways be  successful  in  the  accomplishment 
of  his  high  aim.  This,  however,  should 
not  cause  him  to  lower  his  ideal,  or  to  be 
discouraged  because  he  does  not  always 
attain  unto  it. 

With  the  thought  in  mind  that  his 
great  work  is  to  inspire  to  the  practice 
of  righteousness,  the  teacher  has  a  defi- 
nite plan  of  lesson  preparation,  which 
plan  has  always  in  view  the  impression 
of  some  particular  truth  to  be  lived  by 
the    pupils.     Everything    that    he    does 


The  Lesson  Expressed  in  Life     1 1 5 

during  his  time  of  preparing  to  teach  is 
done  with  this  purpose  prominent.  The 
various  steps  in  the  teaching  process  are 
but  preliminary  to  the  great  climax  of 
the  last  few  minutes  of  the  lesson  study. 
How  different,  then,  becomes  his  attitude 
towards  the  text  selected  for  next  Sun- 
day's consideration?  A  few  minutes  on 
Saturday  night  or  on  Sunday  morning 
will  not  be  sufficient  for  preparation  for 
him  who  has  this  great  object  in  view. 
He  first  of  all  considers  what  his  pupils 
need ;  he  then  endeavours  to  select  from 
the  text  some  one  truth  that  will  meet 
the  needs  of  at  least  a  portion  of  his 
class.  Knowing  just  what  this  truth  is, 
his  illustrations  will  be  arranged  for  the 
purpose  of  making  it  attractive.  His 
various  points  of  teaching  will  be  for  the 
purpose  of  emphasizing  it.  Everything 
that  he  prepares  will  bear  upon  this  truth, 
whatever  it  may  be. 

As  he  goes  to  his  class,  prepared  to 


ll6  Practical  Pedagogy 

apply  the  various  pedagogical  principles 
which  we  have  been  considering,  and 
with  his  lesson  outlined  in  such  a  way 
that  he  can  proceed  step  by  step,  he  faces 
his  pupils  with  the  consciousness  that  he 
has  something  definite  to  impart,  and 
that  he  is  going  to  bend  every  energy  to 
the  accomplishment  of  what  he  has  de- 
termined. Far  different  is  this  from  the 
"happy-go-lucky"  method  of  those  teach- 
ers who  read  indiscriminately  on  the  text, 
and  go  to  the  class  with  a  mass  of  un- 
related anecdotes  and  stories,  with  the 
thought  that  they  are  doing  God's  service 
if  somehow  or  other  they  hold  the  atten- 
tion of  their  pupils  for  half  an  hour  on 
the  Sabbath. 

The  Sunday-school  session  is  over,  but 
the  teacher's  work  is  not  finished.  He 
has  still  a  twofold  method  of  enforcing 
what  is  being  taught.  In  the  first  place, 
he  keeps  a  very  careful  watch  over  his 
life  to  see  that  he  puts  into  practice  the 


The  Lesson  Expressed  in  Life     1 1 7 

things  which  he  has  been  endeavouring 
to  have  his  pupils  do.  He  reaUzes  that 
they  are  watching  him,  and  that  he  is 
producing  an  effect  upon  their  lives.  In 
the  second  place,  in  his  intercourse  with 
the  members  of  his  class,  he  endeavours, 
wherever  opportunity  offers  itself,  to  show 
how  the  truths  taught  in  the  class  may 
be  applied  to  daily  life.  One  reason  why 
so  many  turn  from  the  Sunday-school  is 
because  they  have  never  been  led  to  see 
the  relation  between  the  truths  taught 
therein  and  the  needs  of  the  daily  routine. 
Hence,  they  have  reached  the  conclusion 
that  the  Bible  is  an  old-fashioned  book, 
and  that  there  is  no  vital  connection  be- 
tween Christianity  and  this  busy,  every- 
day world. 

Far  different  from  this,  however,  is  one 
of  the  results  of  the  introduction  of  mod- 
ern pedagogical  principles  into  the  Sun- 
day-school. No  secular  educator  is  satis- 
fied to-day  with  the  mere  acquisition  of 


ii8  Practical  Pedagogy 

knowledge  on  the  part  of  his  students. 
He  wishes  them  to  know  in  order  that 
they  may  do.  So  the  teacher  of  BibUcal 
truths,  inspired  by  the  right  motive,  is 
not  satisfied  with  his  efforts  unless  that 
which  he  teaches  issues  in  right  living. 
Hence,  while  emphasis  is  put  on  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Bible,  and  especially  of  its 
truths,  a  greater  emphasis  is  placed  on 
the  necessity  of  living  those  truths.  In 
this  way  the  Bible  is  no  longer  a  dead 
book,  but  a  manual  replete  with  life  which 
finds  expression  in  ordinary  affairs.  The 
letter  which  kills  has  given  place  to  the 
spirit  which  makes  alive.  In  other  words, 
the  Bible  is  taught  by  one  who  has  a 
proper  conception  of  his  office,  for  the 
purpose  of  enabling  its  students  to  live 
so  as  to  glorify  God  and  benefit  their 
fellow  men. 


XV 

A  FIVEFOLD  KNOWLEDGE 

METHODS  are  of  little  value  to 
him  who  has  not  power  behind 
his  method.  "  Knowledge  is 
power,"  we  are  told.  From  the  peda- 
gogical standpoint  this  is  especially  true. 
Therefore,  we  present  in  a  compact  form 
various  hints  and  suggestions  offered  in 
the  foregoing  pages.  The  Bible  teach- 
er's power  will  be  conditioned  largely  by 
a  quintuple  knowledge : 

I.  Kftowledge  of  God.  The  ultimate 
aim  of  Bible  study  should  be  to  bring  the 
student  into  harmony  and  communion 
with  God.  Therefore  the  one  who  is  to 
lead  others  in  this  study  must  know  God 
or  fall  short  of  being  able  to  teach  as  he 

should.     Imagine  one  striving  to  teach 
119 


120  Practical  Pedagogy 

music  without  knowing  music !  The 
Bible  teacher  must  know  God  as  He  is 
revealed  in  the  Word  and  as  He  reveals 
Himself  to  the  one  who  loves  Him.  (See 
Psalm  XXV.  14  and  John  xv.  15.)  It  is  for 
the  theologian  to  explain  to  us  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Trinity.  Here  we  press  the 
statement  that  as  a  rule  one  cannot  lead 
another  to  God  without  knowing  Him. 
We  are  sometimes  told  that  we  are  to  be 
sign-posts  pointing  the  way  to  heaven. 
Is  this  the  whole  truth  in  this  connection  ? 
Undoubtedly  God  can  use  a  sign-post, 
just  as  He  once  used  an  animal ;  but  can- 
not He  much  more  effectively  use  one 
who  from  a  richness  of  experience  can 
confidently  declare,  I  know?  Teacher, 
first  of  all,  and  above  all,  strive  to  know 
God  and  the  reality  of  the  unseen,  spirit- 
ual truths  which  you  are  to  teach. 

2.  Knowledge  of  the  Word.  The 
teacher  should  know : 

The  Bible  as  a  whole.     That  is  know  it 


A  Fivefold  Knowledge  121 

as  a  book  consisting  of  various  parts 
closely  related  to  one  another  and  dealing 
with  a  common  subject,  viz. :  Man's  rela- 
tion to  God  and  to  his  fellow  men. 
Chronology,  geography,  development  of 
institutions  may  be  profitably  studied  as 
well  as  the  great  fundamental  truths  which 
run  through  the  entire  book. 

The  Bible  in  its  various  parts.  When  ? 
Where  ?  By  whom  ?  To  whom  ?  Why 
written?  are  the  questions  that  we  are 
told  should  be  asked  concerning  the 
various  books.  In  addition  to  this,  the 
teacher  should  strive  to  learn  and  to  teach 
the  connection  of  the  book  under  consid- 
eration with  the  other  parts  of  the  whole. 
The  lesson  for  the  day.  No  teacher, 
however  much  he  may  have  studied, 
should  rely  upon  general  preparation. 
Every  lesson  should  be  especially  studied, 
with  the  view  of  teaching  it  on  the  com- 
ing Lord's  day. 

Especial  truths  applicable  to  individuals. 


122  Practical  Pedagogy 

A  still  more  minute  and  especial  study  of 
each  lesson  should  have  for  its  object  the 
selection  of  truths  particularly  applicable 
to  those  who  are  to  be  taught. 

3.  Knowledge  of  himself.  "  Know 
thyself,"  was  a  saying  of  which  the  an- 
cient Greeks  were  very  fond.  The  writer 
once  had  a  night  school  teacher,  concern- 
ing whom  he  thought.  If  I  were  a  teacher 
I  would  take  that  man's  actions  as  good 
examples  of  what  a  teacher  ought  to 
avoid.  The  man  had  great  knowledge 
of  facts,  but  he  did  not  know  himself. 
The  result  was  that  he  was  conceited, 
wrong  in  his  judgment  of  others  and, 
therefore,  unjust  to  others.  He  lost  his 
influence.  His  pupils  treated  him  with 
contempt,  and  he  was  obliged  to  give  up 
his  class.  If  he  is  living  to-day  he  is 
probably  telling  people  what  an  awful  set 
of  boys  he  had  to  deal  with.  The  trouble 
was  he  did  riot  know  himself.  Teacher, 
if  things  are  going  wrong  in  your  class, 


A  Fivefold  Knowledge  123 

study  yourself,  and  you  may  learn  that  all 
the  evil  is  not  on  the  side  of  the  pupil. 

How  may  I  study  myself  ?  is  a  natural 
question.  A  threefold  method  is  rec- 
ommended : 

Look  into  the  mirror.  If  I  desire  to  find 
the  condition  of  my  face  I  look  into  the 
glass.  The  Word  of  God  is  the  mirror 
where  man  may  find  his  spiritual  proto- 
graph. 

Ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  show  you  yourself. 
This  is  a  process  of  instruction  from  which 
we  naturally  shrink,  but  no  one  really 
comes  to  know  himself  without  the  help 
of  the  Spirit. 

Ask  yoiir friends.  Our  friends  perceive 
our  oddities  and  idiosyncrasies  to  say 
nothing  of  our  positive  sins,  but  they 
shrink  from  reminding  us  of  them  for  fear 
of  giving  offense.  One  of  the  best  teach- 
ers with  whom  the  writer  is  acquainted 
acknowledges  that  he  is  what  he  is, 
largely  because  he  asked  his  friends  to 


124  Practical  Pedagogy 

show  him  his  failings,  and  then  resolutely 
tried  to  profit  by  what  they  said.  Try  it, 
teacher. 

4.  Knowledge  of  his  pupils.  I  never 
really  knew  a  boy  that  I  once  tried  to  in- 
struct in  spiritual  truth  until  I  had  spent 
a  part  of  a  day  in  his  home  just  after  he 
and  his  mother  had  passed  a  night  in  the 
yard,  while  his  drunken  father  sat  in  the 
place  called  home  threatening  to  kill  his 
wife  and  child  if  they  dared  to  enter  the 
house. 

An  evening^s  conversation  by  the  fire 
in  my  home  alone  with  one  who  was 
called  "  a  queer  stick "  enabled  me  to 
know  what  kind  of  teaching  he  needed 
better  than  I  would  have  known  after  a 
hundred  interviews  in  the  presence  of 
others. 

I  thought  I  knew  how  to  teach  an  el- 
derly lady  that  I  once  had  in  my  Bible  class 
until  I  visited  her,  and  she,  locking  the 
door  of  her  room  and  putting  the  key  into 


A  Fivefold  Knowledge  125 

her  pocket,  sat  down  between  me  and  the 
door  and  told  me  about  the  people  who 
were  on  the  roof  and  at  her  window  plot- 
ting to  harm  her.  Then  I  began  to  realize 
that  I  had  made  a  mistake  when  I  im- 
agined that  the  truths  which  I  had  been 
giving  her  were  just  what  she  needed. 
Perhaps  the  reader  cannot  learn  as  much 
about  his  class  as  he  would  like  to.  Let 
him  not  get  discouraged,  but  try  to  learn 
concerning  his  pupil  as  much  of  the  fol- 
lowing as  possible : 

His  week' day  surroundings.  Dr.  Hurl- 
but  urges  the  teacher  to  know  his  pupil's 
home,  his  companions,  his  reading,  his 
recreations,  his  school  life,  and  his  street 
life.  While  it  may  not  be  possible  for 
most  teachers  to  compass  all  this  knowl- 
edge of  the  pupil,  he  will  make  great 
advances  when  he  resolves  to  know  as 
much  about  these  things  as  possible. 

A  lady  was  striving  to  show  her  boys 
that  it  was  not  right  to  **  play  crap  "  be- 


126  Practical  Pedagogy 

cause  it  is  gambling.  *'  That's  nothing," 
said  one  of  her  Usteners ;  **  my  father 
made  forty-eight  dollars  last  Sunday 
gambling."  That  teacher  knows  more 
of  her  pupils'  home  surroundings  than 
she  did  before. 

Of  what  is  he  thinking. 

What  he  knows  of  spiritual  truth. 

What  he  does  not  know  of  that  truth. 
Knowledge  of  these  three  points  may  be 
gained  gradually  during  the  teaching 
period  and  during  those  short  talks 
which  the  wise  teacher  has  with  his 
pupils  before  and  after  the  school  session. 

Bobby  :  Aunt  Nellie,  what  became  of 
the  swine  that  had  evil  spirits  cast  into 
them,  in  the  Bible  ? 

Aunt  Nellie  :  They  plunged  head  fore- 
most into  the  sea,  Bobby. 

Bobby  (triumphandy) :  Not  a  bit  of  it. 
Auntie.  They  were  made  into  devilled 
ham. 

This  newspaper  squib  is  a  fair  indica- 


A  Fivefold  Knowledge  127 

tion  of  the  way  in  which  many  of  our 
youth  think  and  speak  about  Biblical 
truths.  A  few  questions  by  the  teacher 
before  beginning  the  explanation  of  a 
lesson  might  help  in  the  process  of  clear- 
ing away  the  rubbish  that  has  found 
lodgment  in  the  pupils'  minds  and  that 
prevents  the  entrance  of  truth. 

5.  Knowledge  of  how  to  apply  the  truth. 
The  teaching  of  spiritual  truth  has  been 
compared  to  the  filling  of  bottles.  If 
a  liquid  were  thrown  at  a  number  of 
bottles,  more  or  less  would  enter  the 
bottles.  So  with  teaching  large  num- 
bers. Truth  presented  in  a  general  way 
frequently  finds  lodgment  in  some  hearts. 
The  druggist,  when  he  is  filling  bottles, 
carefully  selects  that  which  is  intended 
for  each  bottle  and  fills  that  botde  by 
itself.  The  best  teaching  is  when  truth 
is  selected  for  particular  needs  and  ap- 
plied to  the  individual. 

The  power  gained  by  a  knowledge  of 


128  Practical  Pedagogy 

the  pupil  as  specified  above  is  necessary 
in  order  to  apply  truth  in  this  way.  It 
should  be  the  constant  study  of  the 
teacher  to  learn  how  to  apply  general 
truth,  so  that  the  pupils  may  have  good 
fundamental  knowledge  of  spiritual  things, 
and  then  how  to  apply  specific  truths  to 
their  individual  needs. 

The  old  story  of  the  pious  worker  who 
gave  a  tract  on  **  Dancing "  to  the  one- 
legged  man  is  not  without  its  moral  in 
this  connection.  There  are  those  who 
declare.  Truth  is  truth,  and  it  makes 
little  difference  how  or  where  it  is  stated. 
To  learn  the  folly  of  such  a  statement 
one  has  but  to  study  how  Jesus— the 
Greatest  Teacher — differed  in  His  meth- 
ods of  presenting  truth  to  the  various 
individuals  with  whom  He  had  to  do. 


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